Ages and metallicities of star clusters: new calibrations and diagnostic diagrams from visible integrated spectra

We present homogeneous scales of ages and metallicities for star clusters from very young objects, through intermediate-age ones up to the oldest known clusters. All the selected clusters have integrated spectra in the visible range, as well as reliable determinations of their ages and metallicities. From these spectra equivalent widths (EWs) of KCaII, Gband(CH) and MgI metallic, and Hdelta, Hgamma and Hbeta Balmer lines have been measured homogeneously. The analysis of these EWs shows that the EW sums of the metallic and Balmer H lines, separately, are good indicators of cluster age for objects younger than 10 Gyr, and that the former is also sensitive to cluster metallicity for ages greater than 10 Gyr. We propose an iterative procedure for estimating cluster ages by employing two new diagnostic diagrams and age calibrations based on the above EW sums. For clusters older than 10 Gyr, we also provide a calibration to derive their overall metal contents.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted by A&

Mass distribution and structural parameters of Small Magellanic Cloud star clusters

In this work we estimate, for the first time, the total masses and mass function slopes of a sample of 29 young and intermediate-age SMC clusters from CCD Washington photometry. We also derive age, interstellar reddening and structural parameters for most of the studied clusters by employing a statistical method to remove the unavoidable field star contamination. Only these 29 clusters out of 68 originally analysed cluster candidates present stellar overdensities and coherent distribution in their colour-magnitude diagrams compatible with the existence of a genuine star cluster. We employed simple stellar population models to derive general equations for estimating the cluster mass based only on its age and integrated light in the B, V, I, C and T1 filter. These equations were tested against mass values computed from luminosity functions, showing an excellent agreement. The sample contains clusters with ages between 60 Myr and 3 Gyr and masses between 300 and 3000 Mo distributed between ~0.5 deg. and ~2 deg. from the SMC optical centre. We determined mass function slopes for 24 clusters, of which 19 have slopes compatible with that of Kroupa IMF (2.3 +/- 0.7), considering the uncertainties. The remaining clusters - H86-188, H86-190, K47, K63 and NGC242 - showed flatter MFs. Additionally, only clusters with masses lower than ~1000 Mo and flatter MF were found within ~0.6 deg. from the SMC rotational centre.Comment: 12 pages, 19 figures. Includes another 29 full-page figures of supplementary material. Accepted for publication in the MNRA

BS196: an old star cluster far from the SMC main body

We present B and V photometry of the outlying SMC star cluster BS196 with the 4.1-m SOAR telescope. The photometry is deep (to V~25) showing ~3 mag below the cluster turnoff point (TO) at Mv=2.5 (1.03 Msun). The cluster is located at the SMC distance. The CMD and isochrone fittings provide a cluster age of 5.0+-0.5 Gyr, indicating that this is one of the 12 oldest clusters so far detected in the SMC. The estimated metallicity is [Fe/H]=-1.68+-0.10. The structural analysis gives by means of King profile fittings a core radius Rc=8.7+-1.1 arcsec (2.66+-0.14 pc) and a tidal radius Rt=69.4+-1.7 arcsec (21.2+-1.2 pc). BS196 is rather loose with a concentration parameter c=0.90. With Mv=-1.89+-0.39, BS196 belongs to the class of intrinsically fainter SMC clusters, as compared to the well-known populous ones, which starts to be explored.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures; accepted by MNRA

Spectral evolution of star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud: I. Blue concentrated clusters in the age range 40-300 Myr

Integrated spectroscopy of a sample of 17 blue concentrated Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) clusters is presented and its spectral evolution studied. The spectra span the range ~3600-6800A with a resolution of ~14A FWHM, being used to determine cluster ages and, in connection with their spatial distribution, to explore the LMC structure and cluster formation history. Cluster reddening values were estimated by interpolation, using the available extinction maps. We used two methods to derive cluster ages: (i) template matching, in which line strengths and continuum distribution of the cluster spectra were compared and matched to those of template clusters with known astrophysical properties, and (ii) equivalent width (EW) method, in which new age/metallicity calibrations were used together with diagnostic diagrams involving the sum of EWs of selected spectral lines (KCaII, G band (CH), MgI, Hdelta, Hgamma and Hbeta). The derived cluster ages range from 40Myr (NGC2130 and SL237) to 300Myr (NGC1932 and SL709), a good agreement between the results of the two methods being obtained. Combining the present sample with additional ones indicates that cluster deprojected distances from the LMC center are related to age in the sense that inner clusters tend to be younger. Spectral libraries of star clusters are useful datasets for spectral classifications and extraction of parameter information for target star clusters and galaxies. The present cluster sample complements previous ones, in an effort to gather a spectral library with several clusters per age bin.Comment: 13 pages, 22 figures. Accepted for publication in A&

Mass distribution and structural parameters of Small Magellanic Cloud star clusters

In this work, we estimate, for the first time, the total masses and mass function (MF) slopes of a sample of 29 young and intermediate-age Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) clusters from CCD Washington photometry. We also derive age, interstellar reddening and structural parameters for most of the studied clusters by employing a statistical method to remove the unavoidable field star contamination. Only these 29 clusters out of 68 originally analysed cluster candidates present stellar overdensities and coherent distribution in their colour–magnitude diagrams compatible with the existence of a genuine star cluster. We employed simple stellar population models to derive general equations for estimating the cluster mass based only on its age and integrated light in the B, V, I, C and T1 filter. These equations were tested against mass values computed from luminosity functions, showing an excellent agreement. The sample contains clusters with ages between 60 Myr and 3 Gyr and masses between 300 and 3000 M ⊙ distributed between ∼0$$_{.}^{\circ}5 and ∼2° from the SMC optical centre. We determined MF slopes for 24 clusters, of which 19 have slopes compatible with that of Kroupa's initial mass function (α = 2.3 ± 0.7), considering the uncertainties. The remaining clusters – H86-188, H86-190, K47, K63 and NGC 242 – showed flatter MFs. Additionally, only clusters with masses lower than ∼1000 M ⊙ and flatter MF were found within ∼0$ $_{.}^{\circ}6 from the SMC rotational centre.Fil: Maia, F.F.S.. Universidade Federal do Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Piatti, Andres Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Observatorio Astronomico de Cordoba; ArgentinaFil: Santos Jr., João F. C.. Universidade Federal do Minas Gerais; Brasi

Multi-Valley Superconductivity In Ion-Gated MoS2 Layers

Layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) combine the enhanced effects of correlations associated with the two-dimensional limit with electrostatic control over their phase transitions by means of an electric field. Several semiconducting TMDs, such as MoS$_2$, develop superconductivity (SC) at their surface when doped with an electrostatic field, but the mechanism is still debated. It is often assumed that Cooper pairs reside only in the two electron pockets at the K/K' points of the Brillouin Zone. However, experimental and theoretical results suggest that a multi-valley Fermi surface (FS) is associated with the SC state, involving 6 electron pockets at the Q/Q' points. Here, we perform low-temperature transport measurements in ion-gated MoS$_2$ flakes. We show that a fully multi-valley FS is associated with the SC onset. The Q/Q' valleys fill for doping$\gtrsim2\cdot10^{13}$cm$^{-2}$, and the SC transition does not appear until the Fermi level crosses both spin-orbit split sub-bands Q$_1$ and Q$_2$. The SC state is associated with the FS connectivity and promoted by a Lifshitz transition due to the simultaneous population of multiple electron pockets. This FS topology will serve as a guideline in the quest for new superconductors.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

Open Cluster Characterization via Cross-Correlation with Spectral Library

We present a characterization method based on spectral cross-correlation to obtain the physical parameters of the controversial stellar aggregate ESO442-SC04. The data used was obtained with GMOS at Gemini-South telescope including 17 stars in the central region of the ob ject and 6 standard-stars. FXCOR was used in an iterative process to obtain self-consistent radial velocities for the standard-stars and averaged radial velocities for the science spectra. Spectral types, effective temperature, suface gravity and metallicities parameters were determined using FXCOR to correlate cluster spectra with ELODIE spectral library and selecting the best correlation matches using the Tonry and Davis Ratio (TDR). Analysis of the results suggests that the stars in ESO442-SC04 are not bound and therefore they do not constitute a physical system.Comment: 4-page paper from IAU symposium 266. Contains 3 eps figures and IAU document class file 'iau.cls

Carrier mobility and scattering lifetime in electric double-layer gated few-layer graphene

We fabricate electric double-layer field-effect transistor (EDL-FET) devices on mechanically exfoliated few-layer graphene. We exploit the large capacitance of a polymeric electrolyte to study the transport properties of three, four and five-layer samples under a large induced surface charge density both above and below the glass transition temperature of the polymer. We find that the carrier mobility shows a strong asymmetry between the hole and electron doping regime. We then employ ab-initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations to determine the average scattering lifetime from the experimental data. We explain its peculiar dependence on the carrier density in terms of the specific properties of the electrolyte we used in our experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Gemini/GMOS photometry of intermediate-age star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present Gemini South GMOS g,i photometry of 14 intermediate-age Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) star clusters, namely: NGC 2155, 2161, 2162, 2173, 2203, 2209, 2213, 2231, 2249, Hodge 6, SL 244, 505, 674, and 769, as part of a continuing project to investigate the extended Main Sequence Turnoff (EMSTO) phenomenon. Extensive artificial star tests were made over the observed field of view. These tests reveal the observed behaviour of photometric errors with magnitude and crowding. The cluster stellar density radial profiles were traced from star counts over the extent of the observed field. We adopt clus- ter radii and build colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) with cluster features clearly identified. We used the cluster (g,g-i) CMDs to estimate ages from the matching of theoretical isochrones. The studied LMC clusters are confirmed to be intermediate-age clusters, which range in age 9.10 < log(t) < 9.60. NGC 2162 and NGC 2249 look like new EMSTO candidates, in addition to NGC 2209, on the basis of having dual red clumps.Comment: MNRAS, accepte

Hierarchical structures in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds

We investigate the degree of spatial correlation among extended structures in the LMC and SMC. To this purpose we work with sub-samples characterised by different properties such as age and size, taken from the updated catalogue of Bica et al. or gathered in the present work. The structures are classified as star clusters or non-clusters (basically, nebular complexes and their stellar associations). The radius distribution functions follow power-laws ($dN/dR\propto R^{-\alpha}$) with slopes and maximum radius ($R_{max}$) that depend on object class (and age). Non-clusters are characterised by $\alpha\approx1.9$ and R_{max}\la472 pc, while young clusters (age \la10 Myr) have $\alpha\approx3.6$ and R_{max}\la15 pc, and old ones (age \ga600 Myr) have $\alpha\approx2.5$ and R_{max}\la40 pc. Young clusters present a high degree of spatial self-correlation and, especially, correlate with star-forming structures, which does not occur with the old ones. This is consistent with the old clusters having been heavily mixed up, since their ages correspond to several LMC and SMC crossing times. On the other hand, with ages corresponding to fractions of the respective crossing times, the young clusters still trace most of their birthplace structural pattern. Also, small clusters ($R<10$ pc), as well as small non-clusters ($R<100$ pc), are spatially self-correlated, while their large counterparts of both classes are not. The above results are consistent with a hierarchical star-formation scenario for the LMC and SMC.Comment: Accepted by MNRA