Related papers: New Surface Brightness Fluctuations Spectroscopic …
We measured high-quality surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distances for a sample of 63 massive early-type galaxies using the WFC3/IR camera on the Hubble Space Telescope. The median uncertainty on the SBF distance measurements is 0.085…
We have selelcted 556 Red Horizontal Branch (RHB) stars along the streams of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (Sgr) from SDSS DR7 spectroscopic data using a theoretical model. The metallicity and \alpha-elements distributions are investigated…
Extensive photometric and spectroscopic surveys of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) have discovered tidal debris features throughout M31's stellar halo. We present stellar kinematics and metallicities in fields with identified substructure from…
We derive Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) and integrated magnitudes in the V- and I-bands using Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) archival data. The sample includes 14 galaxies covering a wide range of physical properties: morphology,…
We report the discovery of NGC 253-dw2, a dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy candidate undergoing tidal disruption around a nearby spiral galaxy, NGC 253 in the Sculptor group: the first such event identified beyond the Local Group. The dwarf…
Deep J, H, and K' images obtained with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope adaptive optics system are used to investigate the metallicity of red giant branch (RGB) stars in three fields in the disk of the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy…
We use a novel cluster identification tool StarGO to explore the metal poor ([Fe/H] $<$ -1.5) outer stellar halo (d $>$ 15 kpc) of the Milky Way using data from Gaia, LAMOST and SDSS. Our method is built using an unsupervised learning…
We conduct a survey of low surface brightness (LSB) satellite galaxies around the Local Volume massive spirals using long exposures with small amateur telescopes. We identified 27 low and very low surface brightness objects around the…
We have obtained integrated spectra and multi-filter photometry for a repre- sentative sample of ~200 nearby galaxies. These galaxies span the entire Hubble sequence in morphological type, as well as a wide range of luminosities (M_B = -14…
A dynamical characterization of dark matter dominated dwarf galaxies from their observed effects on galactic disks (i.e. Galactoseismology) has remained an elusive goal. Here, we present preliminary results from spectroscopic observations…
We present a maximum likelihood method for determining the spatial properties of tidal debris and of the Galactic spheroid. With this method we characterize Sagittarius debris using stars with the colors of blue F turnoff stars in SDSS…
Aims. In this work we develop a technique to obtain high precision determinations of both metallicity and effective temperature of M dwarfs in the optical. Methods. A new method is presented that makes use of the information of 4104 lines…
The formation of "stellar halos" in dwarf galaxies have been discussed in terms of early mergers or Galactic tides, although fluctuations in the gravitational potential due to stellar feedback is also a possible candidate mechanism. A…
In this paper we demonstrate how Stromgren uvby photometry can be efficiently used to: 1. Identify red giant branch stars that are members in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy. 2. Derive age-independent metallicities for the same stars and quantify…
We present the first high redshift (0.3 < z < 1.1) galaxy clusters found by systematically identifying optical low surface brightness fluctuations in the background sky. Using spectra obtained with the Keck telescope and I-band images from…
Within the hierarchical framework for galaxy formation, merging and tidal interactions are expected to shape large galaxies to this day. While major mergers are quite rare at present, minor mergers and satellite disruptions - which result…
Upcoming ground and space-based surveys are poised to illuminate low surface brightness tidal features, providing a new observable connection to dark matter physics. From imaging of tidal debris, the morphology of stellar streams can be…
Stellar streams are sensitive laboratories for understanding the small-scale structure in our Galaxy's gravitational field. Here, we analyze the morphology of the $300S$ stellar stream, which has an eccentric, retrograde orbit and thus…
We perform a search for stellar streams around the Milky Way using the first three years of multi-band optical imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We use DES data covering $\sim 5000$ sq. deg. to a depth of $g > 23.5$ with a…
The cold dark matter picture predicts an abundance of substructure within the Galactic halo. However, most substructures host no stars and can only be detected indirectly. Stellar streams present a promising probe of this dark substructure.…