On the building blocks of the M31 and Milky Way halos

Monelli, M.
Bibliographical reference

Wide-Field Variability Surveys: A 21st Century Perspective - 22nd Los Alamos Stellar Pulsation - Conference Series Meeting, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, Edited by Catelan, M.; Gieren, W.; EPJ Web of Conferences, Volume 152, id.01014

Advertised on:
9
2017
Number of authors
1
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We discuss the formation of the halo of M31 and the Milky Way as traced by the population of RR Lyrae stars, in comparison with the population of such stars preent in satellite dwarf galaxies. We find that both halos and the massive dwarf host a population of high amplitude short period RRab stars, absent in low-mass dwarfs. These stars are explained as the metal-rich tail of the RR Lyrae distribution ([Fe/H] ˜ - 1.5), and thus their existence imply fast chemical enrichment in the host system. Their presence in both halos implies that massive building blocks had an important role in their formation.