GALACTIC GLOBULAR AND OPEN CLUSTERS IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY. II. TEST OF THEORETICAL STELLAR ISOCHRONES

Journal Article · Mon Jul 20 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/700/1/523; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21313878

An, Deokkeun; Pinsonneault, Marc H; Masseron, Thomas; Johnson, Jennifer A; Terndrup, Donald M ^[1]; Delahaye, Franck ^[2]; Beers, Timothy C ^[3]; Ivans, Inese I ^[4]; Ivezic, Zeljko ^[5]

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1. Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)
2. Service d'Astrophysique, CEA/DSM/IRFU/SAp, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)
3. Department of Physics and Astrophysics, CSCE: Center for the Study of Cosmic Evolution, and JINA: Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48824 (United States)
4. The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)
5. Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

We perform an extensive test of theoretical stellar models for main-sequence (MS) stars in ugriz, using cluster fiducial sequences obtained in the previous paper of this series. We generate a set of isochrones using the Yale Rotating Evolutionary Code with updated input physics, and derive magnitudes and colors in ugriz from MARCS model atmospheres. These models match cluster MSs over a wide range of metallicity within the errors of the adopted cluster parameters. However, we find a large discrepancy of model colors at the lower MS (T {sub eff} {approx}< 4500 K) for clusters at and above solar metallicity. We also reach similar conclusions using the theoretical isochrones of Girardi et al. and Dotter et al., but our new models are generally in better agreement with the data. Using our theoretical isochrones, we also derive MS-fitting distances and turnoff ages for five key globular clusters, and demonstrate the ability to derive these quantities from photometric data in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. In particular, we exploit multiple color indices (g - r, g - i, and g - z) in the parameter estimation, which allows us to evaluate internal systematic errors. Our distance estimates, with an error of {sigma}{sub (m-M)} = 0.03-0.11 mag for individual clusters, are consistent with Hipparcos-based subdwarf-fitting distances derived in the Johnson-Cousins or Stroemgren photometric systems.

• OSTI ID: 21313878
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 700; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
COLOR
DISTANCE
ERRORS
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS