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NGC 147, NGC 185 and Cassiopeia II (CassII) have similar positions in the sky, distances and measured line-of-sight velocities. This proximity in phase space suggests that these three satellites of M31 form a subgroup within the Local Group. Nevertheless, the differences in their star formation history and interstellar medium, and the recent discovery of a stellar stream in NGC 147, combined with the lack of tidal features in the other two satellites, are all indications of complex and diverse interactions between M31 and these three satellites. We use a genetic algorithm to explore the different orbits that these satellites can have and select six sets of orbits that could best explain the observational features of the NGC 147, NGC 185 and CassII satellites. The parameters of these orbits are then used as a starting point for N-body simulations. We present models for which NGC 147, NGC 185 and CassII are a bound group for a total time of at least 1 Gyr but still undergo different interactions with M31 and as a result NGC 147 has a clear stellar stream, whereas the other two satellites have no significant tidal features. This result shows that it is possible to find solutions that reproduce the contrasting properties of the satellites and for which NGC 147-NGC 185-CassII have been gravitationally bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use cosmological N-body simulations from the Aquarius Project to study the tidal effects of a dark matter halo on the shape and orientation of its substructure. Although tides are often assumed to enhance asphericity and to stretch subhaloes tangentially, these effects are short lived: as in earlier work, we find that subhaloes affected by tides become substantially more spherical and show a strong radial alignment towards the centre of the host halo. These results, combined with a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation, may be used to assess the effect of galactic tides on the observed population of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellites of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. If, as the model suggests, the relatively low dark matter content of luminous dSphs such as Fornax and Leo I is due to tidal stripping, then their gravitational potential must be substantially more spherical than that of more heavily dark matter-dominated systems such as Draco or Carina. The model also predicts a tidally-induced statistical excess of satellites whose major axis aligns with the direction to the central galaxy. We find tantalizing evidence of this in the M31 satellite population, which suggests that tides may have played an important role in its evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While wide-field surveys of M31 have revealed much substructure at large radii, understanding the nature and origin of this material is not straightforward from morphology alone. Using a deep Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys data, we have derived further constraints in the form of quantitative star formation histories (SFHs) for 14 inner halo a fields which sample diverse substructures. In agreement with our previous analysis of colour- 3 magnitude diagram morphologies, we find the resultant behaviours can be broadly separated a into two categories. The SFHs of 'disc-like' fields indicate that most of their mass has formed 33 since z ~ 1, with one quarter of the mass formed in the last 5 Gyr. We find 'stream-like' " fields to be on average 1.5 Gyr older, with <10 per cent of their stellar mass formed within § the last 5 Gyr. These fields are also characterized by an age-metallicity relation showing rapid a chemical enrichment to solar metallicity by z = 1, suggestive of an early-type progenitor. We confirm a significant burst of star formation 2 Gyr ago, discovered in our previous work, in all 2 the fields studied here. The presence of these young stars in our most remote fields suggests 5 that they have not formed in situ but have been kicked-out from the thin disc through disc heating in the recent past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of the large-scale structure of the halo of the Andromeda galaxy, based on the Pan-Andromeda Archeological Survey (PAndAS), currently the most complete map of resolved stellar populations in any galactic halo. Despite the presence of copious substructures, the global halo populations follow closely power-law profiles that become steeper with increasing metallicity. We divide the sample into stream-like populations and a smooth halo component (defined as the population that cannot be resolved into spatially distinct substructures with PAndAS). Fitting a three-dimensional halo model reveals that the most metal-poor populations () are distributed approximately spherically (slightly prolate with ellipticity c/a = 1.09 ± 0.03), with only a relatively small fraction residing in discernible stream-like structures (fstream = 42%). The sphericity of the ancient smooth component strongly hints that the dark matter halo is also approximately spherical. More metal-rich populations contain higher fractions of stars in streams, with fstream becoming as high as 86% for . The space density of the smooth metal-poor component has a global power-law slope of γ = –3.08 ± 0.07, and a non-parametric fit shows that the slope remains nearly constant from 30 kpc to ∼300 kpc. The total stellar mass in the halo at distances beyond 2° is ∼1.1 × 1010M☼, while that of the smooth component is ∼3 × 109M☼. Extrapolating into the inner galaxy, the total stellar mass of the smooth halo is plausibly ∼8 × 109M☼. We detect a substantial metallicity gradient, which declines from 〈 [Fe/H]〉 = –0.7 at R = 30 kpc to 〈 [Fe/H]〉 = –1.5 at R = 150 kpc for the full sample, with the smooth halo being ∼0.2 dex more metal poor than the full sample at each radius. While qualitatively in line with expectations from cosmological simulations, these observations are of great importance as they provide a prototype template that such simulations must now be able to reproduce in quantitative detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey to search for evidence of an extended halo component belonging to M33 (the Triangulum Galaxy). We identify a population of red giant branch (RGB) stars at large radii from M33’s disc whose connection to the recently discovered extended ‘disc substructure’ is ambiguous, and which may represent a ‘bona fide’ halo component. After first correcting for contamination from the Milky Way foreground population and misidentified background galaxies, we average the radial density of RGB candidate stars over circular annuli centred on the galaxy and away from the disc substructure. We find evidence of a low-luminosity, centrally concentrated component that is everywhere in our data fainter than μV ∼ 33 mag arcsec−2. The scalelength of this feature is not well constrained by our data, but it appears to be of the order of rexp ∼ 20 kpc; there is weak evidence to suggest that it is not azimuthally symmetric. Inspection of the overall colour–magnitude diagram for this region that specifically clips out the disc substructure reveals that this residual RGB population is consistent with an old population with a photometric metallicity of around [Fe/H] ∼ −2 dex, but some residual contamination from the disc substructure appears to remain. We discuss the likelihood that our findings represent a bona fide halo in M33, rather than extended emission from the disc substructure. We interpret our findings in terms of an upper limit to M33’s halo that is a few per cent of its total luminosity, although its actual luminosity is likely much less. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT We present a detailed analysis of two fields located 26 kpc (∼5 radial scalelengths) from the centre of M31 along the south-west semimajor axis of the disc. One field samples the major axis populations - the Outer Disc field - while the other is offset by ∼18 arcmin and samples the warp in the stellar disc - the warp field. The colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) based on Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging reach old main-sequence turn-offs (∼12.5 Gyr). We apply the CMD-fitting technique to the warp field to reconstruct the star formation history (SFH). We find that after undergoing roughly constant star formation until about 4.5 Gyr ago, there was a rapid decline in activity and then a ∼1.5 Gyr lull, followed by a strong burst lasting 1.5 Gyr and responsible for 25 per cent of the total stellar mass in this field. This burst appears to be accompanied by a decline in global metallicity which could be a signature of the inflow of metal-poor gas. The onset of the burst (∼3 Gyr ago) corresponds to the last close passage of M31 and M33 as predicted by detailed N-body modelling, and may have been triggered by this event. We reprocess the deep M33 outer disc field data of Barker et al. in order to compare consistently derived SFHs. This reveals a similar duration burst that is exactly coeval with that seen in the M31 warp field, lending further support to the interaction hypothesis. We reliably trace star formation as far back as 12-13 Gyr ago in the outer disc of M31, while the onset of star formation occurred about 2 Gyr later in M33, with median stellar ages of 7.5 and 4.5 Gyr, respectively. The complex SFHs derived, as well as the smoothly varying age-metallicity relations, suggest that the stellar populations observed in the far outer discs of both galaxies have largely formed in situ rather than migrated from smaller galactocentric radii. The strong differential reddening affecting the CMD of the Outer Disc field prevents derivation of the SFH using the same method. Instead, we quantify this reddening and find that the fine-scale distribution of dust precisely follows that of the H i gas. This indicates that the outer H i disc of M31 contains a substantial amount of dust and therefore suggests significant metal enrichment in these parts, consistent with inferences from our CMD analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep, subhorizontal-branch, multicolour photometry of the Andromeda II dwarf spheroidal (And II dSph) taken with the Subaru Suprime-Cam wide-field camera. We identify a red clump population in this galaxy, the first time this feature has been detected in an M31 dSph, which are normally characterized as having no significant intermediate-age populations. We construct radial profiles for the various stellar populations and show that the horizontal branch (HB) has a nearly constant density spatial distribution out to large radius, whereas the reddest red giant branch stars are centrally concentrated in an exponential profile. We argue that these populations trace two distinct structural components in And II, and show that this assumption provides a good match to the overall radial profile of this galaxy. The extended component dominates the stellar populations at large radius, whereas the exponential component dominates the inner few arcminutes. By examining colour–magnitude diagrams in these regions, we show that the two components have very different stellar populations; the exponential component has an average age of ∼7–10 Gyr, is relatively metal-rich ([Fe/H]∼−1) but with a significant tail to low metallicities, and possesses a red clump. The extended component, on the other hand, is ancient (∼13 Gyr), metal-poor ([Fe/H]∼−1.5) with a narrower dispersion , and has a well-developed blue HB. The extended component contains approximately three-quarters of the light of And II and its unusual density profile is unique in Local Group dwarf galaxies. This suggests that its formation and/or evolution may have been quite different from other dwarf galaxies. The obvious chemodynamical complexity of And II lends further support to the accumulating body of evidence which shows that the evolutionary histories of faint dSph galaxies can be every bit as complicated as their brighter and more massive counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the deepest J −Ks near-infrared photometry of the globular cluster M5 (NGC 5904) from observations taken with the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager in tandem with the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) on the 8.1-m Gemini South telescope. Point spread function (PSF) photometry was carried out using a spatially variable PSF, zero-point calibrations based on correlations to a standard photometric catalogue, colour corrections, and crowding corrections. The latter corrections provided a new challenge given the field variations of the adaptive optics corrections in the central crowded regions of this cluster. The final photometric precision in our J− Ks colour–magnitude diagram exposes a dispersion among the lower main-sequence stars of M5 for the first time. This dispersion occurs below a main-sequence knee due to variations in the helium and CNO (carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen) abundances from multiple stellar populations, consistent with results from the bright evolved stars in this cluster from ultraviolet to near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope photometry and ground-based spectroscopy. This paper completes our original GeMS quality analysis programme, providing insights into adaptive optics analyses in crowded fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have obtained deep images of the highly isolated (d = 1 Mpc) Aquarius dwarf irregular galaxy (DDO 210) with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys. The resulting color-magnitude diagram (CMD) reaches more than a magnitude below the oldest main-sequence turnoff, allowing us to derive the star formation history (SFH) over the entire lifetime of the galaxy with a timing precision of ≈10% of the lookback time. Using a maximum likelihood fit to the CMD we find that only ≈10% of all star formation in Aquarius took place more than 10 Gyr ago (lookback time equivalent to redshift z ≈ 2). The star formation rate increased dramatically ≈6-8 Gyr ago (z ≈ 0.7-1.1) and then declined until the present time. The only known galaxy with a more extreme confirmed delay in star formation is Leo A, a galaxy of similar MH I /M⋆, dynamical mass, mean metallicity, and degree of isolation. The delayed stellar mass growth in these galaxies does not track the mean dark matter accretion rate from CDM simulations. The similarities between Leo A and Aquarius suggest that if gas is not removed from dwarf galaxies by interactions or feedback, it can linger for several gigayears without cooling in sufficient quantity to form stars efficiently. We discuss possible causes for the delay in star formation including suppression by reionization and late-time mergers. We find reasonable agreement between our measured SFHs and select cosmological simulations of isolated dwarfs. Because star formation and merger processes are both stochastic in nature, delayed star formation in various degrees is predicted to be a characteristic (but not a universal) feature of isolated small galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We aim to compute the binary fraction of "classical" dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) that are satellites of the Milky Way (MW). This value can offer insights into the binary fraction in environments that are less dense and more metal-poor than our own galaxy. Additionally, knowledge of the binary fraction in dwarf galaxies is important with respect to avoiding overestimations of their dark matter content, inferred from stellar kinematics. Methods. We refined an existing method from the literature, placing an emphasis on providing robust uncertainties on the value of the binary fraction. We applied this modified method to a VLT/FLAMES dataset for Sculptor, specifically acquired for the purpose of velocity monitoring of individual stars, as well as to literature datasets for other six MW "classical" dSphs. In all cases, the targeted stars were mainly red giant branch stars, with expected masses of around 0.8 M⊙. The VLT/FLAMES dataset offers the most precise binary fractions compared to literature datasets, due to its time baseline of 12 yr, along with at least nine repeated observations for each star. Results. We found that the binary fraction of Sculptor is 0.55−0.19+0.17. We find that it is important to take into account the Roche lobe overflow for constraining the period distribution of binary stars. In contrast to what has recently been proposed in the literature, our analysis indicates that there is no evidence to support varying the properties of the binary stellar population or their deviations from those established for the solar neighborhood, based on the sample of MW dSphs analyzed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellites of the Local Group have long been thought to be simple spheroids of stars embedded within extended dark matter haloes. Recently, however, evidence for the presence of spatially and kinematically distinct stellar populations has been accumulating. Here, we examine the influence of such components on dynamical models of dwarf galaxies embedded in cold dark matter haloes. We begin by constructing a model of Andromeda II, a dSph satellite of M31 which shows evidence for spatially distinct stellar components. We find that the two-component model predicts an overall velocity dispersion profile that remains approximately constant at out to ∼1 kpc from the centre; this is despite wide kinematic and spatial differences between the two individual components. This prediction can be validated by detailed spectroscopic analysis of this galaxy. The presence of two components may also help to explain oddities in the velocity dispersion profiles of other dSphs; we show that velocity dispersion profiles which appear to rise from the centre outwards before levelling off – such as those of Leo I, Draco, and Fornax – can result from the gradual transition from a dynamically cold, concentrated component to a second, hotter, and more spatially extended one, both in equilibrium within the same dark halo. Dwarf galaxies with two stellar components generally have a leptokurtic line-of-sight velocity distribution which is well described by a double Maxwellian. This may be contrasted with other dynamical explanations such as a radially dependent anisotropy in the stars' orbits. Interestingly, we find that multiple equilibrium components could also provide a potential alternative origin for ‘extra-tidal’ stars (normally ascribed to tidal effects) in situations where corroborating evidence for tides – such as elongation of the main body of the dwarf in the orbital direction or velocity gradients across its face driven by protruding tidal tails – may be lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the star formation history (SFH) of the isolated (D ∼ 970 kpc) Local Group dwarf galaxy Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte (WLM) measured from colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) constructed from deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging. Our observations include a central (⁠|$0.5 \, r_h$|⁠) and outer field (⁠|$0.7 \, r_h$|⁠) that reach below the oldest main-sequence turn-off. WLM has no early dominant episode of star formation: 20 per cent of its stellar mass formed by ∼12.5 Gyr ago (⁠|$z$| ∼ 5). It also has an SFR that rises to the present with 50 per cent of the stellar mass within the most recent 5 Gyr (⁠|$z$| < 0.7). There is evidence of a strong age gradient: the mean age of the outer field is 5 Gyr older than the inner field despite being only 0.4 kpc apart. Some models suggest such steep gradients are associated with strong stellar feedback and dark-matter core creation. The SFHs of real isolated dwarf galaxies and those from the Feedback in Realistic Environment suite are in good agreement for M ⋆(⁠|$z$| = 0) ∼ 107–109M⊙, but in worse agreement at lower masses (⁠|$M_{\star }(z=0) \sim 10^5\!-\!10^7 \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$|⁠). These differences may be explainable by systematics in the models (e.g. reionization model) and/or observations (HST field placement). We suggest that a coordinated effort to get deep CMDs between HST / JWST (crowded central fields) and WFIRST (wide-area halo coverage) is the optimal path for measuring global SFHs of isolated dwarf galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We present a detailed analysis of two fields located 26 kpc (∼5 radial scalelengths) from the centre of M31 along the south-west semimajor axis of the disc. One field samples the major axis populations - the Outer Disc field - while the other is offset by ∼18 arcmin and samples the warp in the stellar disc - the warp field. The colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) based on Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging reach old main-sequence turn-offs (∼12.5 Gyr). We apply the CMD-fitting technique to the warp field to reconstruct the star formation history (SFH). We find that after undergoing roughly constant star formation until about 4.5 Gyr ago, there was a rapid decline in activity and then a ∼1.5 Gyr lull, followed by a strong burst lasting 1.5 Gyr and responsible for 25 per cent of the total stellar mass in this field. This burst appears to be accompanied by a decline in global metallicity which could be a signature of the inflow of metal-poor gas. The onset of the burst (∼3 Gyr ago) corresponds to the last close passage of M31 and M33 as predicted by detailed N-body modelling, and may have been triggered by this event. We reprocess the deep M33 outer disc field data of Barker et al. in order to compare consistently derived SFHs. This reveals a similar duration burst that is exactly coeval with that seen in the M31 warp field, lending further support to the interaction hypothesis. We reliably trace star formation as far back as 12-13 Gyr ago in the outer disc of M31, while the onset of star formation occurred about 2 Gyr later in M33, with median stellar ages of 7.5 and 4.5 Gyr, respectively. The complex SFHs derived, as well as the smoothly varying age-metallicity relations, suggest that the stellar populations observed in the far outer discs of both galaxies have largely formed in situ rather than migrated from smaller galactocentric radii. The strong differential reddening affecting the CMD of the Outer Disc field prevents derivation of the SFH using the same method. Instead, we quantify this reddening and find that the fine-scale distribution of dust precisely follows that of the H i gas. This indicates that the outer H i disc of M31 contains a substantial amount of dust and therefore suggests significant metal enrichment in these parts, consistent with inferences from our CMD analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]