Published June 10, 2016 | Version v1
Journal article

Deep imaging of Eridanus II and its lone star cluster

  • 1. Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Box 41051, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051 (United States)
  • 2. Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)
  • 3. Department of Physics, Royal Military College of Canada, Box 17000, Station Forces, Kingston, ON K7L 7B4 (Canada)
  • 4. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

Description

We present deep imaging of the most distant dwarf discovered by the Dark Energy Survey, Eridanus II (Eri II). Our Magellan/Megacam stellar photometry reaches ∼3 mag deeper than previous work and allows us to confirm the presence of a stellar cluster whose position is consistent with Eri II's center. This makes Eri II, at M V = 7.1, the least luminous galaxy known to host a (possibly central) cluster. The cluster is partially resolved, and at M V = 3.5 it accounts for ∼4% of Eri II's luminosity. We derive updated structural parameters for Eri II, which has a half-light radius of ∼280 pc and is elongated (ϵ ∼ 0.48) at a measured distance of D ∼ 370 kpc. The color–magnitude diagram displays a blue, extended horizontal branch, as well as a less populated red horizontal branch. A central concentration of stars brighter than the old main-sequence turnoff hints at a possible intermediate-age (∼3 Gyr) population; alternatively, these sources could be blue straggler stars. A deep Green Bank Telescope observation of Eri II reveals no associated atomic gas.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/824/1/L14

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Journal Volume
824
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[6 p.]
ISSN
2041-8205

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
51030875
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
COLOR; CONCENTRATION RATIO; DIAGRAMS; DISTANCE; GALAXIES; LUMINOSITY; NONLUMINOUS MATTER; PHOTOMETRY; STAR CLUSTERS; TELESCOPES
Descriptors DEC
DIMENSIONLESS NUMBERS; INFORMATION; MATTER; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES