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On the Hunt for the Origins of the Orphan–Chenab Stream: Detailed Element Abundances with APOGEE and Gaia

Journal Article · · The Astrophysical Journal
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [11]
  1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States); Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
  2. Flatiron Institute, New York, NY (United States)
  3. LaGuardia Community College (CUNY), Long Island City, NY (United States)
  4. New York Univ. (NYU), NY (United States)
  5. Carnegie Observatories, Pasadena, CA (United States)
  6. Flatiron Institute, New York, NY (United States); Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge (United Kingdom)
  7. Univ. of Surrey, Guildford (United Kingdom)
  8. Univ. of Edinburgh, Scotland (United Kingdom). The Royal Observatory; Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom)
  9. Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago (Chile)
  10. Universitat de Barcelona (Spain). Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos (ICCUB)
  11. Univ. of Antofagasta (Chile)
Stellar streams in the Galactic halo are useful probes of the assembly of galaxies like the Milky Way. Many tidal stellar streams that have been found in recent years are accompanied by a known progenitor globular cluster or dwarf galaxy. However, the Orphan–Chenab (OC) stream is one case where a relatively narrow stream of stars has been found without a known progenitor. In an effort to find the parent of the OC stream, we use astrometry from the early third data release of ESA's Gaia mission (Gaia EDR3) and radial velocity information from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-IV Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey to find up to 13 stars that are likely members of the OC stream. We use the APOGEE survey to study the chemical nature (for up to 10 stars) of the OC stream in the α (O, Mg, Ca, Si, Ti, and S), odd-Z (Al, K, and V), Fe-peak (Fe, Ni, Mn, Co, and Cr), and neutron-capture (Ce) elemental groups. We find that the stars that make up the OC stream are not consistent with a monometallic population and have a median metallicity of -1.92 dex with a dispersion of 0.28 dex. Our results also indicate that the α elements are depleted compared to the known Milky Way populations and that its [Mg/Al] abundance ratio is not consistent with second-generation stars from globular clusters. The detailed chemical pattern of these stars, namely the [α/Fe]–[Fe/H] plane and the metallicity distribution, indicates that the OC stream progenitor is very likely to be a dwarf spheroidal galaxy with a mass of ~106M.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0003843
OSTI ID:
2417896
Journal Information:
The Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: The Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 948; ISSN 0004-637X
Publisher:
IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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