Browsing by Author "Smith, Verne V."

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    Chemical Abundances of Main-sequence, Turnoff, Subgiant, and Red Giant Stars from APOGEE Spectra. I. Signatures of Diffusion in the Open Cluster M67
    (2018) Souto, Diogo; Cunha, Katia; Smith, Verne V.; Allende Prieto, C.; Garcia-Hernandez, D. A.; Pinsonneault, Marc; Holzer, Parker; Frinchaboy, Peter; Holtzman, Jon; Johnson, J. A.; Jonsson, Henrik; Majewski, Steven R.; Shetrone, Matthew; Sobeck, J
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    Disentangling the Galactic Halo with APOGEE. I. Chemical and Kinematical Investigation of Distinct Metal-poor Populations
    (2018) Hayes, Christian R.; Majewski, Steven R.; Shetrone, Matthew; Fernandez-Alvar, Emma; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Schuster, William J.; Carigi, Leticia; Cunha, Katia; Smith, Verne V.; Sobeck, Jennifer; Almeida, Andres; Beers, Timothy C.; Carrera, Ricardo; Fernandez-Trincado, J. G.; Garcia-Hernandez, D. A.; Geisler, Doug; Lane, Richard R.; Lucatello, Sara; Matthews, Allison M.; Minniti, Dante; Nitschelm, Christian; Tang, Baitian; Tissera, Patricia B.; Zamora, Olga
    We find two chemically distinct populations separated relatively cleanly in the [Fe/H]-[Mg/Fe] plane, but also distinguished in other chemical planes, among metal-poor stars (primarily with metallicities [Fe/H] < -0.9) observed by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) and analyzed for Data Release 13 (DR13) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. These two stellar populations show the most significant differences in their [X/Fe] ratios for the alpha-elements, C+N, Al, and Ni. In addition to these populations having differing chemistry, the low metallicity high-Mg population (which we denote "the HMg population") exhibits a significant net Galactic rotation, whereas the low-Mg population (or "the LMg population") has halo-like kinematics with little to no net rotation. Based on its properties, the origin of the LMg population is likely an accreted population of stars. The HMg population shows chemistry (and to an extent kinematics) similar to the thick disk, and is likely associated with in situ formation. The distinction between the LMg and HMg populations mimics the differences between the populations of low-and high-a halo stars found in previous studies, suggesting that these are samples of the same two populations.
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    Disk-like Chemistry of the Triangulum-Andromeda Overdensity as Seen by APOGEE
    (IOP PUBLISHING LTD, 2018) Hayes, Christian R.; Majewski, Steven R.; Hasselquist, Sten; Beaton, Rachael L.; Cunha, Katia; Smith, Verne V.; Price Whelan, Adrian M.; Anguiano, Borja; Beers, Timothy C.; Carrera, Ricardo; Fernandez Trincado, J. G.; Frinchaboy, Peter M.; Garcia Hernandez, D. A.; Lane, Richard R.; Nidever, David L.; Nitschelm, Christian; Roman Lopes, Alexandre; Zamora, Olga
    The nature of the Triangulum-Andromeda (TriAnd) system has been debated since the discovery of this distant, low-latitude Milky Way (MW) overdensity more than a decade ago. Explanations for its origin are either as a halo substructure from the disruption of a dwarf galaxy, or a distant extension of the Galactic disk. We test these hypotheses using the chemical abundances of a dozen TriAnd members from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV's (SDSS-IV's) 14th Data Release (DR14) of Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) data to compare to APOGEE abundances of stars with similar metallicity from both the Sagittarius (Sgr) dSph and the outer MW disk. We find that TriAnd stars are chemically distinct from Sgr across a variety of elements, (C+N), Mg, K, Ca, Mn, and Ni, with a separation in [X/Fe] of about 0.1 to 0.4 dex depending on the element. Instead, the TriAnd stars, with a median metallicity of about -0.8, exhibit chemical abundance ratios similar to those of the lowest metallicity ([Fe/H] similar to-0.7)stars in the outer Galactic disk, and are consistent with expectations of extrapolated chemical gradients in the outer disk of the MW. These results suggest that TriAnd is associated with the MW disk, and, therefore, that the disk extends to this overdensity-i.e., past a Galactocentric radius of 24 kpc -albeit vertically perturbed about 7 kpc below the nominal disk midplane in this region of the Galaxy.
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    Exploring the Stellar Age Distribution of the Milky Way Bulge Using APOGEE
    (2020) Hasselquist, Sten; Zasowski, Gail; Feuillet, Diane K.; Schultheis, Mathias; Nataf, David M.; Anguiano, Borja; Beaton, Rachael L.; Beers, Timothy C.; Cohen, Roger E.; Cunha, Katia; Fernandez-Trincado, Jose G.; Garcia-Hernandez, D. A.; Geisler, Doug; Holtzman, Jon A.; Johnson, Jennifer; Lane, Richard R.; Majewski, Steven R.; Bidin, Christian Moni; Nitschelm, Christian; Roman-Lopes, Alexandre; Schiavon, Ricardo; Smith, Verne V.; Sobeck, Jennifer
    We present stellar age distributions of the Milky Way bulge region using ages for similar to 6000 high-luminosity (log (g), metal-rich ([Fe/H] >= -0.5) bulge stars observed by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment. Ages are derived using The Cannon label-transfer method, trained on a sample of nearby luminous giants with precise parallaxes for which we obtain ages using a Bayesian isochrone-matching technique. We find that the metal-rich bulge is predominantly composed of old stars (>8 Gyr). We find evidence that the planar region of the bulge (vertical bar Z(GC)vertical bar <= 0.25 kpc) is enriched in metallicity, Z, at a faster rate (dZ/dt similar to 0.0034 Gyr(-1)) than regions farther from the plane (dZ/dt similar to 0.0013 Gyr(-1) at vertical bar Z(GC)vertical bar > 1.00 kpc). We identify a nonnegligible fraction of younger stars (age similar to 2-5 Gyr) at metallicities of +0.2 < [Fe/H] < +0.4. These stars are preferentially found in the plane (vertical bar Z(GC)vertical bar <= 0.25 kpc) and at R-cy approximate to 2-3 kpc, with kinematics that are more consistent with rotation than are the kinematics of older stars at the same metallicities. We do not measure a significant age difference between stars found inside and outside the bar. These findings show that the bulge experienced an initial starburst that was more intense close to the plane than far from the plane. Then, star formation continued at supersolar metallicities in a thin disk at 2 kpc less than or similar to R-cy less than or similar to 3 kpc until similar to 2 Gyr ago.
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    Final Targeting Strategy for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 North Survey
    (2021) Beaton, Rachael L.; Oelkers, Ryan J.; Hayes, Christian R.; Covey, Kevin R.; Chojnowski, S. D.; De Lee, Nathan; Sobeck, Jennifer S.; Majewski, Steven R.; Cohen, Roger E.; Fernandez-Trincado, Jose; Longa-Pena, Penelope; O'Connell, Julia E.; Santana, Felipe A.; Stringfellow, Guy S.; Zasowski, Gail; Aerts, Conny; Anguiano, Borja; Bender, Chad; Canas, Caleb I.; Cunha, Katia; Donor, John; Fleming, Scott W.; Frinchaboy, Peter M.; Feuillet, Diane; Harding, Paul; Hasselquist, Sten; Holtzman, Jon A.; Johnson, Jennifer A.; Kollmeier, Juna A.; Kounkel, Marina; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Price-Whelan, Adrian. M.; Rojas-Arriagada, Alvaro; Roman-Zuniga, Carlos; Schlafly, Edward F.; Schultheis, Mathias; Shetrone, Matthew; Simon, Joshua D.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Stutz, Amelia M.; Tayar, Jamie; Teske, Johanna; Tkachenko, Andrew; Troup, Nicholas; Albareti, Franco D.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Bovy, Jo; Burgasser, Adam J.; Comparat, Johan; Downes, Juan Jose; Geisler, Doug; Inno, Laura; Manchado, Arturo; Ness, Melissa K.; Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Prada, Francisco; Roman-Lopes, Alexandre; Simonian, Gregory V. A.; Smith, Verne V.; Yan, Renbin; Zamora, Olga
    The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 (APOGEE-2) is a dual-hemisphere, near-infrared (NIR), spectroscopic survey with the goal of producing a chemodynamical mapping of the Milky Way. The targeting for APOGEE-2 is complex and has evolved with time. In this paper, we present the updates and additions to the initial targeting strategy for APOGEE-2N presented in Zasowski et al. (2017). These modifications come in two implementation modes: (i) "Ancillary Science Programs" competitively awarded to Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV PIs through proposal calls in 2015 and 2017 for the pursuit of new scientific avenues outside the main survey, and (ii) an effective 1.5 yr expansion of the survey, known as the Bright Time Extension (BTX), made possible through accrued efficiency gains over the first years of the APOGEE-2N project. For the 23 distinct ancillary programs, we provide descriptions of the scientific aims, target selection, and how to identify these targets within the APOGEE-2 sample. The BTX permitted changes to the main survey strategy, the inclusion of new programs in response to scientific discoveries or to exploit major new data sets not available at the outset of the survey design, and expansions of existing programs to enhance their scientific success and reach. After describing the motivations, implementation, and assessment of these programs, we also leave a summary of lessons learned from nearly a decade of APOGEE-1 and APOGEE-2 survey operations. A companion paper, F. Santana et al. (submitted; AAS29036), provides a complementary presentation of targeting modifications relevant to APOGEE-2 operations in the Southern Hemisphere.
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    Timing the Evolution of the Galactic Disk with NGC 6791: An Open Cluster with Peculiar High-alpha Chemistry as Seen by APOGEE
    (IOP PUBLISHING LTD, 2017) Linden, Sean T.; Pryal, Matthew; Hayes, Christian R.; Troup, Nicholas W.; Majewski, Steven R.; Andrews, Brett H.; Beers, Timothy C.; Carrera, Ricardo; Cunha, Katia; Fernandez Trincado, J. G.; Frinchaboy, Peter; Geisler, Doug; Lane, Richard R.; Nitschelm, Christian; Pan, Kaike; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Roman Lopes, Alexandre; Smith, Verne V.; Sobeck, Jennifer; Tang, Baitian; Villanova, Sandro; Zasowski, Gail
    We utilize elemental-abundance information for Galactic red giant stars in five open clusters (NGC 7789, NGC 6819, M67, NGC 188, and NGC 6791) from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) DR13 data set to age-date the chemical evolution of the high- and low-alpha element sequences of the Milky Way (MW). Key to this time-stamping is the cluster NGC 6791, whose stellar members have mean abundances that place it in the high-alpha, high-[Fe/H] region of the [alpha/Fe]-[Fe/H] plane. Based on the cluster's age (similar to 8 Gyr), Galactocentric radius, and height above the Galactic plane, as well as comparable chemistry reported for APOGEE stars in Baade's Window, we suggest that the two most likely origins for NGC 6791 are as an original part of the thick disk, or as a former member of the Galactic bulge. Moreover, because NGC 6791 lies at the high-metallicity end ([Fe/H] similar to 0.4) of the high-alpha sequence, the age of NGC 6791 places a limit on the youngest age of stars in the high-metallicity, high-alpha sequence for the cluster's parent population (i.e., either the bulge or the disk). In a similar way, we can also use the age and chemistry of NGC 188 to set a limit of similar to 7 Gyr on the oldest age of the low-alpha sequence of the MW. Therefore, NGC 6791 and NGC 188 are potentially a pair of star clusters that bracket both the timing and the duration of an important transition point in the chemical history of the MW.