The VMC survey - XLIV: mapping metallicity trends in the large magellanic cloud using near-infrared passbands

Samyaday Choudhury; Richard de Grijs; Kenji Bekki; Maria-Rosa L. Cioni; Valentin D. Ivanov; Jacco Th van Loon; Amy E. Miller; Florian Niederhofer; Joana M. Oliveira; Vincenzo Ripepi; Ning-Chen Sun; Smitha Subramanian

doi:10.1093/mnras/stab2446

The VMC survey - XLIV: mapping metallicity trends in the large magellanic cloud using near-infrared passbands

Samyaday Choudhury^*, Richard de Grijs, Kenji Bekki, Maria-Rosa L. Cioni, Valentin D. Ivanov, Jacco Th van Loon, Amy E. Miller, Florian Niederhofer, Joana M. Oliveira, Vincenzo Ripepi, Ning-Chen Sun, Smitha Subramanian

^*Corresponding author for this work

Centre in Astronomy, Astrophysics & Astrophotonics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

We have derived high-spatial-resolution metallicity maps covering ∼105 deg² across the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using near-infrared passbands from the VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds. We attempt to understand the metallicity distribution and gradients of the LMC up to a radius of ∼6 kpc. We identify red giant branch (RGB) stars in spatially distinct Y, (Y - K_s) colour-magnitude diagrams. In any of our selected subregions, the RGB slope is used as an indicator of the average metallicity, based on calibration to metallicity using spectroscopic data. The mean LMC metallicity is [Fe/H] = -0.42 dex (σ[Fe/H] = 0.04 dex). We find the bar to be mildly metal-rich compared with the outer disc, showing evidence of a shallow gradient in metallicity (-0.008 +/- 0.001 dex kpc^-1) from the galaxy's centre to a radius of 6 kpc. Our results suggest that the LMC's stellar bar is chemically similar to the bars found in large spiral galaxies. The LMC's radial metallicity gradient is asymmetric. It is metal-poor and flatter towards the southwest, in the direction of the Bridge. This hints at mixing and/or distortion of the spatial metallicity distribution, presumably caused by tidal interactions between the Magellanic Clouds.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4752-4763
Number of pages	12
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	507
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2446
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 507, Issue 4, November 2021, Pages 4752–4763, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2446. Copyright 2021 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Keywords

stars: abundances
Hertzsprung-Russell and colour-magnitude diagrams
galaxies: abundanes
Local Group
Magellanic Clouds

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10.1093/mnras/stab2446

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Choudhury, S., de Grijs, R., Bekki, K., Cioni, M-R. L., Ivanov, V. D., van Loon, J. T., Miller, A. E., Niederhofer, F., Oliveira, J. M., Ripepi, V., Sun, N-C., & Subramanian, S. (2021). The VMC survey - XLIV: mapping metallicity trends in the large magellanic cloud using near-infrared passbands. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 507(4), 4752-4763. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2446

@article{49b4c064764f4e449b8a002a60beeb7e,

title = "The VMC survey - XLIV: mapping metallicity trends in the large magellanic cloud using near-infrared passbands",

abstract = "We have derived high-spatial-resolution metallicity maps covering ∼105 deg2 across the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using near-infrared passbands from the VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds. We attempt to understand the metallicity distribution and gradients of the LMC up to a radius of ∼6 kpc. We identify red giant branch (RGB) stars in spatially distinct Y, (Y - Ks) colour-magnitude diagrams. In any of our selected subregions, the RGB slope is used as an indicator of the average metallicity, based on calibration to metallicity using spectroscopic data. The mean LMC metallicity is [Fe/H] = -0.42 dex (σ[Fe/H] = 0.04 dex). We find the bar to be mildly metal-rich compared with the outer disc, showing evidence of a shallow gradient in metallicity (-0.008 +/- 0.001 dex kpc-1) from the galaxy's centre to a radius of 6 kpc. Our results suggest that the LMC's stellar bar is chemically similar to the bars found in large spiral galaxies. The LMC's radial metallicity gradient is asymmetric. It is metal-poor and flatter towards the southwest, in the direction of the Bridge. This hints at mixing and/or distortion of the spatial metallicity distribution, presumably caused by tidal interactions between the Magellanic Clouds.",

keywords = "stars: abundances, Hertzsprung-Russell and colour-magnitude diagrams, galaxies: abundanes, Local Group, Magellanic Clouds",

author = "Samyaday Choudhury and {de Grijs}, Richard and Kenji Bekki and Cioni, {Maria-Rosa L.} and Ivanov, {Valentin D.} and {van Loon}, {Jacco Th} and Miller, {Amy E.} and Florian Niederhofer and Oliveira, {Joana M.} and Vincenzo Ripepi and Ning-Chen Sun and Smitha Subramanian",

note = "This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 507, Issue 4, November 2021, Pages 4752–4763, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2446. Copyright 2021 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stab2446",

language = "English",

volume = "507",

pages = "4752--4763",

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Choudhury, S, de Grijs, R, Bekki, K, Cioni, M-RL, Ivanov, VD, van Loon, JT, Miller, AE, Niederhofer, F, Oliveira, JM, Ripepi, V, Sun, N-C & Subramanian, S 2021, 'The VMC survey - XLIV: mapping metallicity trends in the large magellanic cloud using near-infrared passbands', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 507, no. 4, pp. 4752-4763. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2446

TY - JOUR

T1 - The VMC survey - XLIV

T2 - mapping metallicity trends in the large magellanic cloud using near-infrared passbands

AU - Choudhury, Samyaday

AU - de Grijs, Richard

AU - Bekki, Kenji

AU - Cioni, Maria-Rosa L.

AU - Ivanov, Valentin D.

AU - van Loon, Jacco Th

AU - Miller, Amy E.

AU - Niederhofer, Florian

AU - Oliveira, Joana M.

AU - Ripepi, Vincenzo

AU - Sun, Ning-Chen

AU - Subramanian, Smitha

N1 - This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 507, Issue 4, November 2021, Pages 4752–4763, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2446. Copyright 2021 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - We have derived high-spatial-resolution metallicity maps covering ∼105 deg2 across the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using near-infrared passbands from the VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds. We attempt to understand the metallicity distribution and gradients of the LMC up to a radius of ∼6 kpc. We identify red giant branch (RGB) stars in spatially distinct Y, (Y - Ks) colour-magnitude diagrams. In any of our selected subregions, the RGB slope is used as an indicator of the average metallicity, based on calibration to metallicity using spectroscopic data. The mean LMC metallicity is [Fe/H] = -0.42 dex (σ[Fe/H] = 0.04 dex). We find the bar to be mildly metal-rich compared with the outer disc, showing evidence of a shallow gradient in metallicity (-0.008 +/- 0.001 dex kpc-1) from the galaxy's centre to a radius of 6 kpc. Our results suggest that the LMC's stellar bar is chemically similar to the bars found in large spiral galaxies. The LMC's radial metallicity gradient is asymmetric. It is metal-poor and flatter towards the southwest, in the direction of the Bridge. This hints at mixing and/or distortion of the spatial metallicity distribution, presumably caused by tidal interactions between the Magellanic Clouds.

AB - We have derived high-spatial-resolution metallicity maps covering ∼105 deg2 across the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using near-infrared passbands from the VISTA Survey of the Magellanic Clouds. We attempt to understand the metallicity distribution and gradients of the LMC up to a radius of ∼6 kpc. We identify red giant branch (RGB) stars in spatially distinct Y, (Y - Ks) colour-magnitude diagrams. In any of our selected subregions, the RGB slope is used as an indicator of the average metallicity, based on calibration to metallicity using spectroscopic data. The mean LMC metallicity is [Fe/H] = -0.42 dex (σ[Fe/H] = 0.04 dex). We find the bar to be mildly metal-rich compared with the outer disc, showing evidence of a shallow gradient in metallicity (-0.008 +/- 0.001 dex kpc-1) from the galaxy's centre to a radius of 6 kpc. Our results suggest that the LMC's stellar bar is chemically similar to the bars found in large spiral galaxies. The LMC's radial metallicity gradient is asymmetric. It is metal-poor and flatter towards the southwest, in the direction of the Bridge. This hints at mixing and/or distortion of the spatial metallicity distribution, presumably caused by tidal interactions between the Magellanic Clouds.

KW - stars: abundances

KW - Hertzsprung-Russell and colour-magnitude diagrams

KW - galaxies: abundanes

KW - Local Group

KW - Magellanic Clouds

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U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stab2446

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stab2446

M3 - Article

VL - 507

SP - 4752

EP - 4763

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

SN - 1365-2966

IS - 4

ER -

The VMC survey - XLIV: mapping metallicity trends in the large magellanic cloud using near-infrared passbands

Abstract

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Keywords

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