Bibcode
DOI
Vivas, A. K.; Zinn, R.; Andrews, P.; Bailyn, C.; Baltay, C.; Coppi, P.; Ellman, N.; Girard, T.; Rabinowitz, D.; Schaefer, B.; Shin, J.; Snyder, J.; Sofia, S.; van Altena, W.; Abad, C.; Bongiovanni, A.; Briceño, C.; Bruzual, G.; Della Prugna, F.; Herrera, D.; Magris, G.; Mateu, J.; Pacheco, R.; Sánchez, Ge.; Sánchez, Gu.; Schenner, H.; Stock, J.; Vicente, B.; Vieira, K.; Ferrín, I.; Hernandez, J.; Gebhard, M.; Honeycutt, R.; Mufson, S.; Musser, J.; Rengstorf, A.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 554, Issue 1, pp. L33-L36.
Advertised on:
6
2001
Journal
Citations
214
Refereed citations
183
Description
We have measured the periods and light curves of 148 RR Lyrae variables
from V=13.5 to 19.7 from the first 100 deg2 of the Quasar
Equatorial Survey Team RR Lyrae survey. Approximately 55% of these stars
belong to the clump of stars detected earlier by the Sloan Digital Sky
Survey. According to our measurements, this feature has ~10 times the
background density of halo stars, spans at least 37.5d by 3.5d in
α and δ (>=30 by >=3 kpc), lies ~50 kpc from the Sun,
and has a depth along the line of sight of ~5 kpc (1 σ). These
properties are consistent with the recent models that suggest that it is
a tidal stream from the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The mean
period of the type ab variables, 0.58 days, is also consistent. In
addition, we have found two smaller overdensities in the halo, one of
which may be related to the globular cluster Pal 5.