Above-horizontal-branch (AHB) stars in Gal. GCs Virtual Observatory Resource

Authors
  1. Davis B.D.
  2. Bond H.E.
  3. Siegel M.H.
  4. Ciardullo R.
  5. Published by
    CDS
Abstract

We have carried out a search for above-horizontal-branch (AHB) stars-objects lying above the horizontal branch (HB) and blueward of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) in the color-magnitude diagram-in 97 Galactic and seven Magellanic Cloud globular clusters (GCs). We selected AHB candidates based on photometry in the uBVI system, which is optimized for detection of low-surface-gravity stars with large Balmer jumps, in the color range -0.05<=(B-V)_0_<=1.0. We then used Gaia astrometry and Gaussian-mixture modeling to confirm cluster membership and remove field interlopers. Our final catalog contains 438 AHB stars, classified and interpreted in the context of post-HB evolution as follows: (1) AHB1: 280 stars fainter than M_V_=-0.8, evolving redward from the blue HB (BHB) toward the base of the AGB. (2) Post-AGB (PAGB): 13 stars brighter than M_V_~-2.75, departing from the top of the AGB and evolving rapidly blueward. (3) AHB2: 145 stars, with absolute magnitudes between those of the AHB1 and PAGB groups. This last category includes a mixture of objects leaving the extreme BHB and evolving toward the AGB, and brighter ones moving back from the AGB toward higher temperatures. Among the AHB1 stars are 59 RR Lyrae interlopers, observed by chance in our survey near maximum light. PAGB and AHB2 stars (including W Virginis Cepheids) overwhelmingly belong to GCs containing BHB stars, in accordance with predictions of post-HB evolutionary tracks. We suggest that most W Vir variables are evolving toward lower temperatures and are in their first crossings of the instability strip. Nonvariable yellow PAGB stars show promise as a Population II standard candle for distance measurement.

Keywords
  1. globular-star-clusters
  2. giant-stars
  3. horizontal-branch-stars
  4. infrared-photometry
  5. visible-astronomy
  6. Wide-band photometry
  7. proper-motions
  8. absolute-magnitude
Bibliographic source Bibcode
2022ApJ...926...99D
See also HTML
https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/ApJ/926/99
IVOA Identifier IVOID
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/926/99

Access

Web browser access HTML
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/926/99
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/926/99
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/926/99
IVOA Table Access TAP
http://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tap
Run SQL-like queries with TAP-enabled clients (e.g., TOPCAT).
IVOA Cone Search SCS
For use with a cone search client (e.g., TOPCAT).
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/clusters?
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/clusters?
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/clusters?
IVOA Cone Search SCS
For use with a cone search client (e.g., TOPCAT).
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/table3?
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/table3?
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/table3?
IVOA Cone Search SCS
For use with a cone search client (e.g., TOPCAT).
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/table7?
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/table7?
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/926/99/table7?

History

2023-11-22T07:45:43Z
Resource record created
2023-11-22T06:51:53Z
Updated
2023-11-22T07:45:43Z
Created

Contact

Name
CDS support team
Postal Address
CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
E-Mail
cds-question@unistra.fr