An asymptotic giant branch star survey in the Small Magellanic Cloud

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/169140· OSTI ID:6406778

Reid, N; Mould, J ^[1]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (USA)

Photographic V- and I-band photometry of a 0.8 sq deg region in the Small Magellanic Cloud is presented. The V - I color index is used to identify the candidate asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in this field, and spectroscopic observations are obtained of all of the latter with M(bol) of less than -5.5. The majority prove to be of spectral type K4 or K5, with only one C star in the sample. It is suggested that these earlier type giants are young, massive supergiants formed within the last few million years. A comparison with the LMC shows that the two systems have nearly identical AGB luminosity functions, suggesting that the relative star formation rates have been similar. Finally, while these radial velocity data show the well-known bimodal distribution, the width of the giant branch in the color-magnitude diagram suggests that the depth of the SMC along the line of sight is only about 5 kpc. 41 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6406778
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 360; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COLOR
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GALAXIES
GIANT STARS
LUMINOSITY
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
PHOTOMETRY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIAL VELOCITY
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
SPECTROSCOPY
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
SUPERGIANT STARS
SURVEYS
VELOCITY