No Arabic abstract
We have analysed the strength of the UV upturn in red sequence galaxies with luminosities reaching to below the $L^*$ point within four clusters at $z$ = 0.3, 0.55 & 0.7. We find that the incidence and strength of the upturn remains constant up to $z=0.55$. In comparison, the prevalence and strength of the UV upturn is significantly diminished in the $z=0.7$ cluster, implying that the stellar population responsible for the upturn in a typical red sequence galaxy is only just developing at this redshift and is essentially fully-developed by $sim 1$ Gyr later. Of all the mainstream models that seek to explain the UV upturn phenomenon, it is those that generate the upturn through the presence of a Helium-enhanced stellar subpopulation on the (hot) horizontal branch that are most consistent with this behaviour. The epoch ($z=0.7$) where the stars responsible for the upturn first evolve from the red giant branch places constraints on their age and chemical abundances. By comparing our results with the prediction made by the YEPS Helium-enhanced spectrophotometic models, we find that a solar metallicity sub-population that displays a consistent upturn between $0<z<0.55$ but then fades by $z=0.7$ would require a Helium abundance of $Ygeqslant0.45$, if formed at $z_fsim4$. Later formation redshifts and/or higher metallicity would further increase the Helium enhancement required to produce the observed upturn in these clusters and vice versa.
We carried out deep searches for CO line emission in the outer disk of M33, at R>7 kpc, and examined the dynamical conditions that can explain variations in the mass distribution of the molecular cloud throughout the disk of M33. We used the IRAM-30~m telescope to search for CO lines in the outer disk toward 12 faint mid-infrared (MIR) selected sources and in an area of the southern outer disk hosting MA1, a bright HII region. We detect narrow CO lines at the location of two MIR sources at galactocentric distances of about 8 kpc that are associated with low-mass young stellar clusters, and at four locations in the proximity of MA1. The paucity of CO lines at the location of weak MIR-selected sources probably arises because most of them are not star-forming sites in M33, but background sources. Although very uncertain, the total molecular mass of the detected clouds around MA1 is lower than expected given the stellar mass of the cluster, because dispersal of the molecular gas is taking place as the HII region expands. The mean mass of the giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in M33 decreases radially by a factor 2 from the center out to 4 kpc, then it stays constant until it drops at R>7 kpc. We suggest that GMCs become more massive toward the center because of the fast rotation of the disk, which drives mass growth by coalescence of smaller condensations as they cross the arms. The analysis of both HI and CO spectral data gives the consistent result that corotation of the two main arms in this galaxy is at a radius of 4.7+-0.3 kpc, and spiral shock waves become subsonic beyond 3.9 kpc. Perturbations are quenched beyond 6.5 kpc, where CO lines have been detected only around sporadic condensations associated with UV and MIR emission.
It is suspected that the ultraviolet (UV) upturn phenomenon in elliptical galaxies and extended horizontal-branch stars in globular clusters have a common origin. An extremely high abundance of helium (Y~0.4) allows for a working hypothesis, but its origin is unclear. Peng & Nagai (2009) proposed that primordial helium sedimentation in dark haloes over cosmic timescales may lead to extreme helium abundances in galaxy cluster centers. In this scenario UV upturn should be restricted to brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) only. This is a clear and testable prediction. We present tests of this hypothesis using galaxy clusters from Yoon et al. (2008) that were detected by both the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer Medium Imaging Survey. Using a new UV classification scheme based on far-UV, near-UV, and optical photometry we found only 5% of cluster elliptical galaxies show a UV upturn, while 27% and 68% are classified as recent star-formation and UV-weak ellipticals, respectively. The data reveal a modest positive dependence of the UV upturn fraction on galaxy velocity dispersion, which is in agreement with the earlier findings of Burstein et al. (1988) and possibly with the helium sedimentation theory. However, we do not see any dependency on rank or luminosity of galaxies. Besides, BCGs do not show any marked difference in UV upturn fraction or strength, which is inconsistent with the prediction. We conclude that the aforementioned helium sedimentation theory and its inferred environmental effects are not supported by the available data.
We exploit stellar population models of absorption line indices in the ultraviolet (from 2000 - 3200 Angstrom) to study the spectra of massive galaxies. Our central aim is to investigate the occurrence at high-redshift of the UV upturn, i.e. the increased UV emission due to old stars observed in massive galaxies and spiral bulges in the local Universe. We use a large (~275,000) sample of z~0.6 massive (log M*/Msun > 11.5) galaxies using both individual spectra and stacks and employ a suite of models including a UV contribution from old populations, spanning various effective temperatures, fuel consumptions and metallicities. We find that a subset of our indices, Mg I, Fe I, and BL3096, are able to differentiate between old and young UV ages. We find evidence for old stars contributing to the UV in massive galaxies, rather than star formation. The data favour models with low/medium upturn temperatures (10,000 - 25,000K) consistent with local galaxies, depending on the assumed metallicity, and with a larger fuel (f ~ 0.065 Msun). Models with one typical temperature are favoured over models with a temperature range, which would be typical of an extended horizontal branch. Old UV-bright populations are found in the whole galaxy sample (~92%), with a mass fraction peaking around 20-30%. Upturn galaxies are massive and have redder colours, in agreement with findings in the local Universe. We find that the upturn phenomenon appears at z~1 and its frequency increases towards lower redshift, as expected by stellar evolution of low mass stars. Our findings will help constrain stellar evolution in the exotic UV upturn phase.
Temporal photometric variations at near infrared to submillimeter wavelengths have been found in low-mass young stellar objects. These phenomena are generally interpreted as accretion events of star-disk systems with varying accretion rates. There is growing evidence suggesting that similar luminosity flaring also occurs in high-mass star/cluster-forming regions. We report in this Letter the rise and fall of the 900 ${mu}$m continuum emission and the newly found 349.1 GHz methanol maser emission in the massive star forming region S255IR~SMA1 observed with the Submillimeter Array and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The level of flux variation at a factor of $sim$ 2 at the submillimeter band and the relatively short 2-year duration of this burst suggest that the event is probably similar to those milder and more frequent minor bursts seen in 3D numerical simulations.
HS Hydrae is a short period eclipsing binary (P_orb=1.57 day) that belongs to a rare group of systems observed to have rapidly changing inclinations. This evolution is due to a third star on an intermediate orbit, and results in significant differences in eclipse depths and timings year-to-year. Zasche & Paschke (2012) revealed that HS Hydraes eclipses were rapidly fading from view, predicting they would cease around 2022. Using 25 days of photometric data from Sector 009 of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), we find that the primary eclipses for HS Hydrae were only 0.00173+/-0.00007 mag in depth in March 2019. This data from TESS likely represents the last eclipses detected from HS Hydrae. We also searched the Digitization of the Harvard Astronomical Plate Collection (DASCH) archive for historic data from the system. With a total baseline of over 125 years, this unique combination of data sets - from photographic plates to precision space-based photometry - allows us to trace the emergence and decay of eclipses from HS Hydrae, and further constrain its evolution. Recent TESS observations from Sector 035 confirm that eclipses have ceased for HS Hya, and we estimate they will begin again in 2195.