Engineering topics

Placco, V. M. (ORCID:0000000344791265)

Publications and source records attributed to Placco, V. M. (ORCID:0000000344791265).

4 records

DOE OSTI2026

DELVE Milky Way Satellite Galaxy Census. I. Satellite Population and Survey Selection Function in DES, DELVE, and Pan-STARRS

The properties of Milky Way satellite galaxies have important implications for galaxy formation, reionization, and the fundamental physics of dark matter. However, the population of Milky Way satellites includes the faintest known galaxies, and current observations are incomplete. To understand the impact of observational selection effects on the known satellite population, we perform rigorous, quantitative estimates of the Milky Way satellite galaxy detection efficiency in three wide-field survey datasets: the Dark Energy Survey Year 6, the DECam Local Volume Exploration Data Release 3, and the Pan-STARRS1 Data Release 1. Together, these surveys cover ∼13,600 deg 2 to g ∼ 24.0 and ∼27,700 deg 2 to g ∼ 22.5, spanning ∼91% of the high-Galactic-latitude sky (∣b∣ ≥ 15°). We apply multiple detection algorithms over the combined footprint and recover 49 known satellites above a strict census detection threshold. To characterize the sensitivity of our census, we run our detection algorithms on a large set of simulated galaxies injected into the survey data, which allows us to develop models that predict the detectability of satellites as a function of their properties. We then fit an empirical model to our data and infer the luminosity function, radial distribution, and size–luminosity relation of Milky Way satellite galaxies. Our empirical model predicts a total of $265^{+79}_{-47}$ satellite galaxies with −20 ≤ M V ≤ 0, half-light radii of 15 ≤ r 1/2 , (pc) ≤ 3000, and galactocentric distances of 10 ≤ D GC (kpc) ≤ 300. We also identify a mild anisotropy in the angular distribution of the observed galaxies, at a significance of ∼2σ, which can be attributed to the clustering of satellites associated with the LMC.

Tan, Chin Yi [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)↗

DOE OSTI2026

Ultra-faint Milky Way Satellites Discovered in Carina, Phoenix, and Telescopium with DELVE Data Release 3

We report the discovery of three Milky Way satellite candidates: Carina IV, Phoenix III, and DELVE 7, in the third data release of the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE). The candidate systems were identified by cross-matching results from two independent search algorithms. All three are extremely faint systems composed of old, metal-poor stellar populations (τ ≳ 10 Gyr, [Fe/H] ≲−1.4). Carina IV (M V = −2.8; r 1/2 = 40 pc) and Phoenix III (M V = −1.2; r 1/2 = 19 pc) have half-light radii that are consistent with the known population of dwarf galaxies, while DELVE 7 (M V = 1.2; r 1/2 = 2 pc) is very compact and seems more likely to be a star cluster, though its nature remains ambiguous without spectroscopic follow-up. The Gaia proper motions of stars in Carina IV ($M_{\star} = 2250^{+1180}_{-830} M_⊙$) indicate that it is unlikely to be associated with the LMC, while DECam CaHK photometry confirms that its member stars are metal poor. Phoenix III ($M_{\star} = 520^{+660}_{-290} M_⊙$) is the faintest known satellite in the extreme outer stellar halo (D GC > 100 kpc), while DELVE 7 ($M_{\star} = 60^{+120}_{-40} M_⊙$) is the faintest known satellite with D GC > 20 kpc.

Tan, Chin Yi [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)↗

DOE OSTI2025

Discovery and Spectroscopic Confirmation of Aquarius III: A Low-mass Milky Way Satellite Galaxy

Abstract We present the discovery of Aquarius III, an ultra-faint Milky Way satellite galaxy identified in the second data release of the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey. Based on deeper follow-up imaging with DECam, we find that Aquarius III is a low-luminosity ( M V = − 2.5 − 0.5 + 0.3 ; L V = 850 − 260 + 380 L ⊙ ), extended ( r 1 / 2 = 41 − 8 + 9 pc) stellar system located in the outer halo ( D ⊙ = 85 ± 4 kpc). From medium-resolution Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy, we identify 11 member stars and measure a mean heliocentric radial velocity of v sys = − 13.1 − 0.9 + 1.0 km s − 1 for the system and place an upper limit of σ v < 3.5 km s −1 ( σ v < 1.6 km s −1 ) on its velocity dispersion at the 95% (68%) credible level. Based on calcium-triplet metallicities of the six brightest red giant members, we find that Aquarius III is very metal-poor ([Fe/H]= − 2.61 ± 0.21) with a statistically significant metallicity spread ( σ [ Fe / H ] = 0.46 − 0.14 + 0.26 dex). We interpret this metallicity spread as strong evidence that the system is a dwarf galaxy as opposed to a star cluster. Combining our velocity measurement with Gaia proper motions, we find that Aquarius III is currently situated near its orbital pericenter in the outer halo ( r peri = 78 ± 7 kpc) and that it is plausibly on first infall onto the Milky Way. This orbital history likely precludes significant tidal disruption from the Galactic disk, notably unlike other satellites with comparably low velocity dispersion limits in the literature. Thus, if further velocity measurements confirm that its velocity dispersion is truly below σ v ≲ 2 km s −1 , Aquarius III may serve as a useful laboratory for probing galaxy formation physics in low-mass halos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Light elements Na and Al in 58 bulge spheroid stars from APOGEE

ABSTRACT We identified a sample of 58 candidate stars with metallicity [Fe/H] ≲ −0.8 that likely belong to the old bulge spheroid stellar population, and analyse their Na and Al abundances from Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) spectra. In a previous work, we inspected APOGEE-Stellar Parameter and Chemical Abundance Pipeline abundances of C, N, O, Mg, Al, Ca, Si, and Ce in this sample. Regarding Na lines, one of them appears very strong in about 20 per cent of the sample stars, but it is not confirmed by other Na lines, and can be explained by sky lines, which affect the reduced spectra of stars in a certain radial velocity range. The Na abundances for 15 more reliable cases were taken into account. Al lines in the H band instead appear to be very reliable. Na and Al exhibit a spread in abundances, whereas no spread in N abundances is found, and we found no correlation between them, indicating that these stars could not be identified as second-generation stars that originated in globular clusters. We carry out the study of the behaviour of Na and Al in our sample of bulge stars and literature data by comparing them with chemodynamical evolution model suitable for the Galactic bulge. The Na abundances show a large spread, and the chemodynamical models follow the main data, whereas for aluminum instead, the models reproduce very satisfactorily the nearly secondary-element behaviour of aluminum in the metallicity range below [Fe/H] ≲ −1.0. For the lower-metallicity end ([Fe/H < −2.5), hypernovae are assumed to be the main contributor to yields.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗