Examinando por Autor "Alonso-García, Javier"
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Ítem A machine learned classifier for RR Lyrae in the VVV survey(EDP Sciences, 2016-11) Elorrieta, Felipe; Eyheramendy, Susana; Jordán, Andrés; Dékány, István; Catelan, Márcio; Angeloni, Rodolfo; Alonso-García, Javier; Contreras-Ramos, Rodrigo; Gran, Felipe; Hajdu, Gergely; Espinoza, Néstor; Saito, Roberto K.; Minniti, DanteVariable stars of RR Lyrae type are a prime tool with which to obtain distances to old stellar populations in the Milky Way. One of the main aims of the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) near-infrared survey is to use them to map the structure of the Galactic Bulge. Owing to the large number of expected sources, this requires an automated mechanism for selecting RR Lyrae, and particularly those of the more easily recognized type ab (i.e., fundamental-mode pulsators), from the 106−107 variables expected in the VVV survey area. In this work we describe a supervised machine-learned classifier constructed for assigning a score to a Ks-band VVV light curve that indicates its likelihood of being ab-type RR Lyrae. We describe the key steps in the construction of the classifier, which were the choice of features, training set, selection of aperture, and family of classifiers. We find that the AdaBoost family of classifiers give consistently the best performance for our problem, and obtain a classifier based on the AdaBoost algorithm that achieves a harmonic mean between false positives and false negatives of ≈7% for typical VVV light-curve sets. This performance is estimated using cross-validation and through the comparison to two independent datasets that were classified by human experts.Ítem Candidate Hypervelocity Red Clump Stars in the Galactic Bulge Found Using the VVV and Gaia Surveys(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2019-12) Luna, Alonso; Minniti, Dante; Alonso-García, JavierWe propose a new way to search for hypervelocity stars (HVS) in the Galactic bulge, by using red clump (RC) giants, that are good distance indicators. The second Gaia Data Release and the near-IR data from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey led to the selection of a volume limited sample of 34 bulge RC stars. A search in this combined data set leads to the discovery of seven candidate hypervelocity red clump stars in the Milky Way bulge. Based on this search we estimate the total production rate of hypervelocity RC stars from the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) to be N HVRC = 3.26 × 10-4 yr-1. This opens up the possibility of finding larger samples of HVS in the Galactic bulge using future surveys, closer to their main production site, if they originated from interactions of binaries with the central SMBH. © 2019. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..Ítem CAPOS: The bulge Cluster APOgee Survey II. The intriguing “Sequoia” globular cluster FSR 1758(EDP Sciences, 2021-08-01) Romero-Colmenares, María; Fernández-Trincado, José G.; Geisler, Doug; Souza, Stefano O.; Villanova, Sandro; Longa-Peña, Penélope; Minniti, Dante; Beers, Timothy C.; Bidin, Cristian Moni; Perez-Villegas, Angeles; Moreno, Edmundo; Garro, Elisa R.; Baeza, Ian; Henao, Lady; Barbuy, Beatriz; Alonso-García, Javier; Cohen, Roger E.; Lane, Richard R.; Muñoz, CesarWe present results from a study of 15 red giant members of the intermediate-metallicity globular cluster (GC) FSR 1758 using high-resolution, near-infrared spectra collected with the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment II survey (APOGEE-2) that were obtained as part of CAPOS (the bulge Cluster APOgee Survey). Since its very recent discovery as a massive GC in the bulge region, evoking the name Sequoia, this has been an intriguing object with a highly debated origin, and initially led to the suggestion of a purported progenitor dwarf galaxy of the same name. In this work, we use new spectroscopic and astrometric data to provide additional clues as to the nature of FSR 1758. Our study confirms the GC nature of FSR 1758, and as such we report the existence of the characteristic N-C anticorrelation and Al-N correlation for the first time. We thereby reveal the existence of the multiple-population phenomenon, similar to that observed in virtually all GCs. Furthermore, the presence of a population with strongly enriched aluminum makes it unlikely that FSR 1758 is the remnant nucleus of a dwarf galaxy because Al-enhanced stars are uncommon in dwarf galaxies. We find that FSR 1758 is slightly more metal rich than previously reported in the literature; this source has a mean metallicity [Fe/H] between -1.43 to -1.36, depending on the adopted atmospheric parameters and a scatter within observational error, again pointing to its GC nature. Overall, the α-enrichment ( + 0.3 dex), Fe-peak (Fe, Ni), light (C, N), and odd-Z (Al) elements follow the trend of intermediate-metallicity GCs. Isochrone fitting in the Gaia bands yields an estimated age of ∼11.6 Gyr. We used the exquisite kinematic data, including our CAPOS radial velocities and Gaia eDR3 proper motions, to constrain the N-body density profile of FSR 1758, and found that it is as massive (∼2.9 ± 0.6 × 105 Mpdbl) as NGC 6752. We confirm a retrograde and eccentric orbit for FSR 1758. A new examination of its dynamical properties with the GravPot16 model favors an association with the Gaia-Enceladus-Sausage accretion event. Thus, paradoxically, the cluster that gave rise to the name of the Sequoia dwarf galaxy does not appear to belong to this specific merging event.Ítem Confirmation of a New Metal-poor Globular Cluster in the Galactic Bulge(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2018-10) Minniti, Dante; Schlafly E.F.; Palma, Tali; Clariá, Juan J.; Hempel, Maren; Alonso-García, Javier; Bica, Eduardo; Bonatto, Charles; Braga, Vittorio F.; Clementini, Gisella; Garofalo, Alessia; Gómez, Matías; Ivanov, Valentin D.; Lucas, Phillip W.; Pullen, Joyce; Saito, Roberto K.; Smith, Leigh C.We use deep near-IR photometry of the VISTA Variables in the V'a L'ctea (VVV) Survey and deep DECam Plane Survey (DECaPS) optical photometry to confirm the physical reality of the candidate globular cluster (GC) Minni 22, which is located in the Galactic bulge. This object, which was detected as a high density region in our maps of bulge red giants, is now confirmed as a real GC based on the optical and near-IR color'magnitude diagrams. We also recover three known fundamental mode (ab type) RR Lyrae stars within 2 arcmin of the cluster center. The presence of RR Lyrae stars also seems to confirm Minni 22 as a bonafide old and metal-poor GC. We estimate a cluster reddening E(J - Ks) = 0.6 mag and determine its heliocentric distance D = 7.4 ± 0.3 kpc. The optical and near-IR color'magnitude diagrams reveal well-defined red giant branches in all cases, including a red giant branch bump at Ks = 13.30 ± 0.05 mag. The comparison with theoretical isochrones yields a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = -1.3 ± 0.3 dex, and age of t ∼ 11.2 Gyr. This is a good example of a new low-luminosity (MV = -6.2 mag) GC found in the central bulge of the Milky Way. After discussing the different ways to confirm the existence of bulge GC candidates, we find that one of the best methods is to use the CMDs from the combination of the DECaPS + VVV photometries. © 2018 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.Ítem Discovery of tidal RR lyrae stars in the bulge globular cluster M62(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2018-12) Minniti, Dante; Fernández-Trincado, José G.; Ripepi, Vincenzo; Alonso-García, Javier; Contreras Ramos, Rodrigo; Marconi, MarcellaThe RR Lyrae (RRL) rich globular cluster M62 (NGC 6266) is one of the most massive globular clusters in the Milky Way, located in the dense region of the Galactic bulge, where dynamical processes that affect the survival of globular clusters are maximized. Using Gaia second data release data we have found clear evidence for an excess of RRLs beyond the cluster tidal radius of M62, associated partly with stars stripped into the Galaxy field. This is confirmed with new Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy Variables in the Via Lactea Extended survey observations, which discard any differential reddening effect as the possible cause of the observed RRL density excess. We also determined the orbit of M62 using accurate new measurements of its distance, radial velocity, and proper motions, finding that its orbit is prograde with respect to the direction of the Galactic rotation. Orbits are integrated in the non-axisymmetric galactic model GravPot16, which includes the perturbations due to the central Galactic bar. M62 shows a particular orbital behavior, having a dynamical signature of the bar-bulge region. The small extra-tidal RRLs extensions that are observed are roughly aligned toward the galactic center, and the direction is almost perpendicular to the galactic plane, not with its motion along its orbit. This may be a clear sign of bulge-crossing shocks during the last passage close of the cluster toward its perigalacticon. M62 would be the first clear observed case of bulge shocking in the inner Galaxy acting on a globular clusterÍtem FSR 1716: A New Milky Way Globular Cluster Confirmed Using VVV RR Lyrae Stars(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2017-03) Minniti, Dante; Palma, Tali; Dékány, Istvan; Hempel, Maren; Rejkuba, Marina; Pullen, Joyce; Alonso-García, Javier; Barbá, Rodolfo; Barbuy, Beatriz; Bica, Eduardo; Bonatto, Charles; Borissova, Jura; Catelan, Marcio; Carballo-Bello, Julio A.; Chene, Andre Nicolas; Clariá, Juan José; Cohen, Roger E.; Contreras Ramos, Rodrigo; Dias, Bruno; Emerson, Jim; Froebrich, Dirk; Buckner, Anne S. M.; Geisler, Douglas; Gonzalez, Oscar A.; Gran, Felipe; Hagdu, Gergely; Irwin, Mike; Ivanov, Valentin D.; Kurtev, Radostin; Lucas, Philip W.; Majaess, Daniel; Mauro, Francesco; Moni-Bidin, Christian; Navarrete, Camila; Alegría, Sebastian Ramírez; Saito, Roberto K.; Valenti, Elena; Zoccali, ManuelaWe use deep multi-epoch near-IR images of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) Survey to search for RR Lyrae stars toward the Southern Galactic plane. Here, we report the discovery of a group of RR Lyrae stars close together in VVV tile d025. Inspection of the VVV images and PSF photometry reveals that most of these stars are likely to belong to a globular cluster that matches the position of the previously known star cluster FSR 1716. The stellar density map of the field yields a >100σ detection for this candidate globular cluster that is centered at equatorial coordinates R.A.J2000 = 16:10:30.0, decl.J2000 = -53:44:56 and galactic coordinates l = 329.77812, b = -1.59227. The color-magnitude diagram of this object reveals a well-populated red giant branch, with a prominent red clump at K s = 13.35 ±0.05, and J - K s = 1.30 ±0.05. We present the cluster RR Lyrae positions, magnitudes, colors, periods, and amplitudes. The presence of RR Lyrae indicates an old globular cluster, with an age >10 Gyr. We classify this object as an Oosterhoff type I globular cluster, based on the mean period of its RR Lyrae type ab, days, and argue that this is a relatively metal-poor cluster with [Fe/H] = -1.5 ±0.4 dex. The mean extinction and reddening for this cluster are and E(J - K s) = 0.72 ±0.02 mag, respectively, as measured from the RR Lyrae colors and the near-IR color-magnitude diagram. We also measure the cluster distance using the RR Lyrae type ab stars. The cluster mean distance modulus is (m - M)0 = 14.38 ±0.03 mag, implying a distance D = 7.5 ±0.2 kpc and a Galactocentric distance R G = 4.3 kpc. © 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.Ítem M dwarf stars in the b294 field from the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV)(Oxford University Press, 2023-04) Cruz, Patricia; Cortés-Contreras, Miriam; Solano, Enrique; Rodrigo, Carlos; Minniti, Dante; Alonso-García, Javier; Saito, Roberto K.M dwarf stars are the dominant stellar population in the Milky Way, and they are important for a wide variety of astrophysical topics. The Gaia mission has delivered a superb collection of data, nevertheless, ground-based photometric surveys are still needed to study faint objects. Therefore, the present work aims to identify and characterize M dwarf stars in the direction of the Galactic bulge using photometric data and with the help of Virtual Observatory tools. Using parallax measurements and proper motions from Gaia Data Release 3, in addition to different colour-cuts based on VISTA filters, we identify and characterize 7 925 M dwarf stars in the b294 field from the Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) survey. We performed a spectral energy distribution fitting to obtain the effective temperature for all objects using photometric information available at Virtual Observatory archives. The objects in our sample have temperatures varying from 2800–3900 K. We also search for periodic signals in VVV light curves with up to 300 epochs, approximately. As a secondary outcome, we obtain periods for 82 M dwarfs by applying two methods: the Lomb–Scargle and Phase Dispersion Minimization methods, independently. These objects, with periods ranging from 0.14–34 d, are good candidates for future ground-based follow up. Our sample has increased significantly the number of known M dwarfs in the direction of the Galactic bulge and within 500 pc, showing the importance of ground-based photometric surveys in the near-infrared. © 2023 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.Ítem The enigmatic globular cluster UKS 1 obscured by the bulge: H -band discovery of nitrogen-enhanced stars(EDP Sciences, 2020-11-01) Fernández-Trincado, José G.; Minniti, Dante; Beers, Timothy C.; Villanova, Sandro; Geisler, Doug; Souza, Stefano O.; Smith, Leigh C.; Placco, Vinicius M.; Vieira, Katherine; Pérez-Villegas, Angeles; Barbuy, Beatriz; Alves-Brito, Alan; Moni Bidin, Christian; Alonso-García, Javier; Tang, Baitian; Palma, TaliThe presence of nitrogen-enriched stars in globular clusters provides key evidence for multiple stellar populations (MPs), as has been demonstrated with globular cluster spectroscopic data towards the bulge, disk, and halo. In this work, we employ the VVV Infrared Astrometric Catalogue (VIRAC) and the DR16 SDSS-IV release of the APOGEE survey to provide the first detailed spectroscopic study of the bulge globular cluster UKS 1. Based on these data, a sample of six selected cluster members was studied. We find the mean metallicity of UKS 1 to be [Fe/H] = -0.98 ± 0.11, considerably more metal-poor than previously reported, and a negligible metallicity scatter, typical of that observed by APOGEE in other Galactic globular clusters. In addition, we find a mean radial velocity of 66.1 ± 12.9 km s-1, which is in good agreement with literature values, within 1σ. By selecting stars in the VIRAC catalogue towards UKS 1, we also measure a mean proper motion of (μαcos(δ), μδ) = (-2.77 ± 0.23, -2.43 ± 0.16) mas yr-1. We find strong evidence for the presence of MPs in UKS 1, since four out of the six giants analysed in this work have strong enrichment in nitrogen ([N/Fe] - +0.95) accompanied by lower carbon abundances ([C/Fe] -0.2). Overall, the light- (C, N), α- (O, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti), Fe-peak (Fe, Ni), Odd-Z (Al, K), and the s-process (Ce, Nd, Yb) elemental abundances of our member candidates are consistent with those observed in globular clusters at similar metallicity. Furthermore, the overall star-to-star abundance scatter of elements exhibiting the multiple-population phenomenon in UKS 1 is typical of that found in other global clusters (GCs), and larger than the typical errors of some [X/Fe] abundances. Results from statistical isochrone fits in the VVV colour-magnitude diagrams indicate an age of 13.10-1.29+0.93 Gyr, suggesting that UKS 1 is a fossil relic in the Galactic bulge.Ítem The RR Lyrae projected density distribution from the Galactic centre to the halo(EDP Sciences, 2021-02-01) Navarro, María Gabriela; Minniti, Dante; Capuzzo-Dolcetta, Roberto; Alonso-García, Javier; Contreras Ramos, Rodrigo; Majaess, Daniel; Ripepi, VincenzoThe projected density distribution of type ab RR Lyrae (RRab) stars was characterised from the innermost regions of the Milky Way to the halo, with the aim of placing constraints on the Galaxy's evolution. The compiled sample (NRRab = 64 850) stems from fundamental mode RR Lyrae variables identified by the VVV, OGLE, and Gaia surveys. The distribution is well fitted by three power laws over three radial intervals. In the innermost region (R < 2.2°) the distribution follows ςRRab[1] R-0.94 ± 0.051, while in the external region the distribution adheres to ςRRab[2] R-1.50 ± 0.019 for 2.2° < R < 8.0° and ςRRab[3] R-2.43 ± 0.043 for 8.0° < R < 30.0°. Conversely, the cumulative distribution of red clump (RC) giants exhibits a more concentrated distribution in the mean, but in the central R < 2.2° the RRab population is more peaked, whereas globular clusters (GCs) follow a density power law (ςGCs R-1.59 ± 0.060 for R < 30.0°) similar to that of RRab stars, especially when considering a more metal-poor subsample ([Fe/H] < -1.1 dex). The main conclusion emerging from the analysis is that the RRab distribution favours the star cluster infall and merger scenario for creating an important fraction (> 18%) of the central Galactic region. The radii containing half of the populations (half populations radii) are RH RRab = 6.8° (0.99 kpc), RH RC = 4.2° (0.61 kpc), and RH GCs = 11.9° (1.75 kpc) for the RRab stars, RC giants, and GCs, respectively. Finally, merely ∼1% of the stars have been actually discovered in the innermost region (R < 35 pc) out of the expected (based on our considerations) total number of RRab therein: N ∼ 1562. That deficit will be substantially ameliorated with future space missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formerly WFIRST).Ítem The structure behind the Galactic bar traced by red clump stars in the VVV survey(Oxford University Press, 2018-11) Gonzalez, Oscar A.; Minniti, Dante; Valenti, Elena; Alonso-García, Javier; Debattista, Victor P.; Zoccali, Manuela; Rejkuba, Marina; Dias, Bruno; Surot, Francisco; Hempel, Maren; Saito, Roberto K.Red clump stars are commonly used to map the reddening and morphology of the inner regions of the Milky Way. We use the new photometric catalogues of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey to achieve twice the spatial resolution of previous reddening maps for Galactic longitudes - 10° < l < 10° and latitudes -1.5° < b < 1.5°. We use these dereddened catalogues to construct the Ks luminosity function around the red clump in the Galactic plane. We show that the secondary peak (fainter than the red clump) detected in these regions does not correspond to the bulge red-giant branch bump alone, as previously interpreted. Instead, this fainter clump corresponds largely to the over-density of red clump stars tracing the spiral arm structure behind the Galactic bar. This result suggests that studies aiming to characterize the bulge red-giant branch bump should avoid low galactic latitudes (|b| < 2°), where the background red clump population contributes significant contamination. It furthermore highlights the need to include this structural component in future modelling of the Galactic bar. © 2018 The Author(s).Ítem Variable stars in the VVV globular clusters. I. 2MASS-GC 02 and Terzan 10(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2015-03) Alonso-García, Javier; Dékány, István; Catelan, Márcio; Ramos, Rodrigo Contreras; Gran, Felipe; Amigo, Pía; Leyton, Paul; Minniti, DanteThe VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) ESO Public Survey is opening a new window to study inner Galactic globular clusters (GCs) using their variable stars. These GCs have been neglected in the past due to the difficulties caused by the presence of elevated extinction and high field stellar densities in their lines of sight. However, the discovery and study of any present variables in these clusters, especially RR Lyrae stars, can help to greatly improve the accuracy of their physical parameters. It can also help to shed some light on the questions raised by the intriguing Oosterhoff dichotomy in the Galactic GC system. In a series of papers we plan to explore variable stars in the GCs falling inside the field of the VVV survey. In this first paper, we search for and study the variables present in two highly reddened, moderately metal-poor, faint, inner Galactic GCs: 2MASS-GC 02 and Terzan 10. We report the discovery of sizable populations of RR Lyrae stars in both GCs. We use near-infrared period-luminosity relations to determine the color excess of each RR Lyrae star, from which we obtain both accurate distances to the GCs and the ratios of the selective-to-total extinction in their directions. We find the extinction toward both clusters to be elevated, non-standard, and highly differential. We also find both clusters to be closer to the Galactic center than previously thought, with Terzan 10 being on the far side of the Galactic bulge. Finally, we discuss their Oosterhoff properties, and conclude that both clusters stand out from the dichotomy followed by most Galactic GCs. © 2015. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.