Serendipitous discovery of a thin stellar stream near the Galactic bulge in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey

Edouard J. Bernard; Annette M. N. Ferguson; Edward F. Schlafly; Mohamad Abbas; Eric F. Bell; Niall R. Deacon; Nicolas F. Martin; Hans-Walter Rix; Branimir Sesar; Colin T. Slater; Jorge Peñarrubia; Rosemary F. G. Wyse; William S. Burgett; Kenneth C. Chambers; Peter W. Draper; Klaus W. Hodapp; Nicholas Kaiser; Rolf-Peter Kudritzki; Eugene A. Magnier; Nigel Metcalfe; Jeffrey S. Morgan; Paul A. Price; John L. Tonry; Richard J. Wainscoat; Christopher Waters

doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slu089

Serendipitous discovery of a thin stellar stream near the Galactic bulge in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey

Edouard J. Bernard, Annette M. N. Ferguson, Edward F. Schlafly, Mohamad Abbas, Eric F. Bell, Niall R. Deacon, Nicolas F. Martin, Hans-Walter Rix, Branimir Sesar, Colin T. Slater, Jorge Peñarrubia, Rosemary F. G. Wyse, William S. Burgett, Kenneth C. Chambers, Peter W. Draper, Klaus W. Hodapp, Nicholas Kaiser, Rolf-Peter Kudritzki, Eugene A. Magnier, Nigel MetcalfeJeffrey S. Morgan, Paul A. Price, John L. Tonry, Richard J. Wainscoat, Christopher Waters

School of Physics and Astronomy

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

Abstract / Description of output

We report the discovery of a thin stellar stream found in Pan-STARRS1 photometry near the Galactic bulge in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It appears as a coherent structure in the colour-selected stellar density maps produced to search for tidal debris around nearby globular clusters. The stream is exceptionally short and narrow; it is about 2.5° long and 6 arcmin wide in projection. The colour-magnitude diagram of this object, which harbours a blue horizontal-branch, is consistent with an old and relatively metal-poor population ([Fe/H] ˜-1.3) located 9.5 ± 0.9 kpc away at (l, b) ˜ (5°, +32°), and 5.0 ± 1.0 kpc from the Galactic centre. These properties argue for a globular cluster as progenitor. The finding of such a prominent, nearby stream suggests that many streams could await discovery in the more densely populated regions of our Galaxy.

Original language	English
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Volume	443
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slu089
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2014

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

surveys
globular clusters: general
Galaxy: halo
Galaxy: structure

Access to Document

10.1093/mnrasl/slu089

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.443L..84B

Annette Ferguson, FRSE
- fergusonroe.acuk
- School of Physics and Astronomy - Personal Chair in Observational Astrophysics
Person: Academic: Research Active

Cite this

Bernard, E. J., Ferguson, A. M. N., Schlafly, E. F., Abbas, M., Bell, E. F., Deacon, N. R., Martin, N. F., Rix, H.-W., Sesar, B., Slater, C. T., Peñarrubia, J., Wyse, R. F. G., Burgett, W. S., Chambers, K. C., Draper, P. W., Hodapp, K. W., Kaiser, N., Kudritzki, R.-P., Magnier, E. A., ... Waters, C. (2014). Serendipitous discovery of a thin stellar stream near the Galactic bulge in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 443. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slu089

@article{4e22ca2bb1f348e78846a016eb06b180,

title = "Serendipitous discovery of a thin stellar stream near the Galactic bulge in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey",

abstract = "We report the discovery of a thin stellar stream found in Pan-STARRS1 photometry near the Galactic bulge in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It appears as a coherent structure in the colour-selected stellar density maps produced to search for tidal debris around nearby globular clusters. The stream is exceptionally short and narrow; it is about 2.5° long and 6 arcmin wide in projection. The colour-magnitude diagram of this object, which harbours a blue horizontal-branch, is consistent with an old and relatively metal-poor population ([Fe/H] ˜-1.3) located 9.5 ± 0.9 kpc away at (l, b) ˜ (5°, +32°), and 5.0 ± 1.0 kpc from the Galactic centre. These properties argue for a globular cluster as progenitor. The finding of such a prominent, nearby stream suggests that many streams could await discovery in the more densely populated regions of our Galaxy.",

keywords = "surveys, globular clusters: general, Galaxy: halo, Galaxy: structure",

author = "Bernard, {Edouard J.} and Ferguson, {Annette M. N.} and Schlafly, {Edward F.} and Mohamad Abbas and Bell, {Eric F.} and Deacon, {Niall R.} and Martin, {Nicolas F.} and Hans-Walter Rix and Branimir Sesar and Slater, {Colin T.} and Jorge Pe{\~n}arrubia and Wyse, {Rosemary F. G.} and Burgett, {William S.} and Chambers, {Kenneth C.} and Draper, {Peter W.} and Hodapp, {Klaus W.} and Nicholas Kaiser and Rolf-Peter Kudritzki and Magnier, {Eugene A.} and Nigel Metcalfe and Morgan, {Jeffrey S.} and Price, {Paul A.} and Tonry, {John L.} and Wainscoat, {Richard J.} and Christopher Waters",

year = "2014",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1093/mnrasl/slu089",

language = "English",

volume = "443",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters",

issn = "1745-3933",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

}

Bernard, EJ, Ferguson, AMN, Schlafly, EF, Abbas, M, Bell, EF, Deacon, NR, Martin, NF, Rix, H-W, Sesar, B, Slater, CT, Peñarrubia, J, Wyse, RFG, Burgett, WS, Chambers, KC, Draper, PW, Hodapp, KW, Kaiser, N, Kudritzki, R-P, Magnier, EA, Metcalfe, N, Morgan, JS, Price, PA, Tonry, JL, Wainscoat, RJ & Waters, C 2014, 'Serendipitous discovery of a thin stellar stream near the Galactic bulge in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, vol. 443. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slu089

TY - JOUR

T1 - Serendipitous discovery of a thin stellar stream near the Galactic bulge in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey

AU - Bernard, Edouard J.

AU - Ferguson, Annette M. N.

AU - Schlafly, Edward F.

AU - Abbas, Mohamad

AU - Bell, Eric F.

AU - Deacon, Niall R.

AU - Martin, Nicolas F.

AU - Rix, Hans-Walter

AU - Sesar, Branimir

AU - Slater, Colin T.

AU - Peñarrubia, Jorge

AU - Wyse, Rosemary F. G.

AU - Burgett, William S.

AU - Chambers, Kenneth C.

AU - Draper, Peter W.

AU - Hodapp, Klaus W.

AU - Kaiser, Nicholas

AU - Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter

AU - Magnier, Eugene A.

AU - Metcalfe, Nigel

AU - Morgan, Jeffrey S.

AU - Price, Paul A.

AU - Tonry, John L.

AU - Wainscoat, Richard J.

AU - Waters, Christopher

PY - 2014/9/1

Y1 - 2014/9/1

N2 - We report the discovery of a thin stellar stream found in Pan-STARRS1 photometry near the Galactic bulge in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It appears as a coherent structure in the colour-selected stellar density maps produced to search for tidal debris around nearby globular clusters. The stream is exceptionally short and narrow; it is about 2.5° long and 6 arcmin wide in projection. The colour-magnitude diagram of this object, which harbours a blue horizontal-branch, is consistent with an old and relatively metal-poor population ([Fe/H] ˜-1.3) located 9.5 ± 0.9 kpc away at (l, b) ˜ (5°, +32°), and 5.0 ± 1.0 kpc from the Galactic centre. These properties argue for a globular cluster as progenitor. The finding of such a prominent, nearby stream suggests that many streams could await discovery in the more densely populated regions of our Galaxy.

AB - We report the discovery of a thin stellar stream found in Pan-STARRS1 photometry near the Galactic bulge in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It appears as a coherent structure in the colour-selected stellar density maps produced to search for tidal debris around nearby globular clusters. The stream is exceptionally short and narrow; it is about 2.5° long and 6 arcmin wide in projection. The colour-magnitude diagram of this object, which harbours a blue horizontal-branch, is consistent with an old and relatively metal-poor population ([Fe/H] ˜-1.3) located 9.5 ± 0.9 kpc away at (l, b) ˜ (5°, +32°), and 5.0 ± 1.0 kpc from the Galactic centre. These properties argue for a globular cluster as progenitor. The finding of such a prominent, nearby stream suggests that many streams could await discovery in the more densely populated regions of our Galaxy.

KW - surveys

KW - globular clusters: general

KW - Galaxy: halo

KW - Galaxy: structure

U2 - 10.1093/mnrasl/slu089

DO - 10.1093/mnrasl/slu089

M3 - Article

SN - 1745-3933

VL - 443

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

ER -

Serendipitous discovery of a thin stellar stream near the Galactic bulge in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey

Abstract / Description of output

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

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Annette Ferguson, FRSE

Cite this