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DOE OSTI2011

THE DYNAMICAL DISTANCE, RR LYRAE ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE, AND AGE OF THE GLOBULAR CLUSTER NGC 6266

The internal proper motion dispersion of NGC 6266 was measured using Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images with an epoch difference of eight years. The dispersion was found to be 0.041 {+-} 0.001 arcsec century{sup -1}. This value was then equated to the cluster's radial velocity dispersion of 13.7 {+-} 1.1 km s{sup -1} to yield a distance to NGC 6266 of 7054 {+-} 583 pc. Based on this distance we find that the NGC 6266 RR Lyrae stars have M{sub V} = 0.51 {+-} 0.18 mag. This magnitude is in good agreement with that predicted by the M{sub V} versus [Fe/H] relation found by Benedict et al. Using an average [Fe/H] of -1.25 for NGC 6266, their relation predicts M{sub V} = 0.49 {+-} 0.06. Based on the RR Lyrae M{sub V} versus age relation determined by Chaboyer et al., we estimate that NGC 6266 has an age of 11.4 {+-} 2.2 Gyr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

NONTHERMAL EMISSION FROM MIDDLE-AGED SUPERNOVA REMNANTS INTERACTING WITH MOLECULAR CLOUDS

Supernova remnants (SNRs) interacting with dense molecular clouds (MCs) are proven to be bright {gamma}-ray emitters by recent observations in the GeV-TeV band. We theoretically investigate the multiband radiative properties of the four middle-aged SNRs IC443, W51C, W28, and W44 with a time-dependent injection model. In the model, part of the SNR shell transports into a dense MC, with the other part of the shell evolving in a relatively tenuous interstellar medium. We find a broken power law with a break energy of {approx}3-40 GeV that must be imposed to reproduce the observed multiwavelength spectra for the four remnants. The results indicate that the observed {gamma}-ray spectra can be reproduced as a p-p interaction of the high-energy protons injected by the shell interacting with the MC with the dense matter, whereas the radio emission is produced via synchrotron radiation of the injected electrons from the other part of the shell for the four middle-aged SNRs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

CORONAL ELECTRON TEMPERATURE FROM THE SOLAR WIND SCALING LAW THROUGHOUT THE SPACE AGE

Recent in situ observations of the solar wind show that charge states (e.g., the O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} and C{sup 6+}/C{sup 5+} abundance ratios) and {alpha}-particle composition evolved through the extended, deep solar minimum between solar cycles 23 and 24 (i.e., from 2006 to 2009). Prior investigations have found that both particle flux and magnetic field strength gradually decreased over this period of time. In this study, we find that (for a given solar wind speed) the coronal electron temperature (as derived from O{sup 7+}/O{sup 6+} and C{sup 6+}/C{sup 5+} measurements from ACE) likewise decreased during this minimum. We use the Schwadron and McComas solar wind scaling law to show that cooler coronal electron temperatures are naturally associated with lower particle fluxes because downward heat conduction must be reduced to keep the average energy loss per particle fixed. The results of the scaling law should apply to all solar wind models and suggest that the evolution of the solar wind is linked to the solar dynamo, which caused the coronal magnetic field strength to decrease in the deep, extended minimum. We utilize the scaling law to project coronal electron temperatures backward in time throughout the space age and find that these temperatures have been decreasing in successive temperature maxima since 1987 but were increasing in successive temperature maxima from 1969 to 1987. Thus, we show how the solar wind scaling law relates solar wind properties observed at 1 AU back to coronal electron temperatures throughout the space age.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

RECONSTRUCTING THE STELLAR MASS DISTRIBUTIONS OF GALAXIES USING S{sup 4}G IRAC 3.6 AND 4.5 {mu}m IMAGES. I. CORRECTING FOR CONTAMINATION BY POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, HOT DUST, AND INTERMEDIATE-AGE STARS

With the aim of constructing accurate two-dimensional maps of the stellar mass distribution in nearby galaxies from Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m images, we report on the separation of the light from old stars from the emission contributed by contaminants. Results for a small sample of six disk galaxies (NGC 1566, NGC 2976, NGC 3031, NGC 3184, NGC 4321, and NGC 5194) with a range of morphological properties, dust content, and star formation histories are presented to demonstrate our approach. To isolate the old stellar light from contaminant emission (e.g., hot dust and the 3.3 {mu}m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature) in the IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m bands we use an independent component analysis (ICA) technique designed to separate statistically independent source distributions, maximizing the distinction in the [3.6]-[4.5] colors of the sources. The technique also removes emission from evolved red objects with a low mass-to-light ratio, such as asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and red supergiant (RSG) stars, revealing maps of the underlying old distribution of light with [3.6]-[4.5] colors consistent with the colors of K and M giants. The contaminants are studied by comparison with the non-stellar emission imaged at 8 {mu}m, which is dominated by the broad PAH feature. Using the measured 3.6 {mu}m/8 {mu}m ratio to select individual contaminants, we find that hot dust and PAHs together contribute between {approx}5% and 15% to the integrated light at 3.6 {mu}m, while light from regions dominated by intermediate-age (AGB and RSG) stars accounts for only 1%-5%. Locally, however, the contribution from either contaminant can reach much higher levels; dust contributes on average 22% to the emission in star-forming regions throughout the sample, while intermediate-age stars contribute upward of 50% in localized knots. The removal of these contaminants with ICA leaves maps of the old stellar disk that retain a high degree of structural information and are ideally suited for tracing stellar mass, as will be the focus in a companion paper.

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DOE OSTI2012

LITHIUM ABUNDANCE AS A PREDICTOR OF MASS AND AGE IN SOLAR-ANALOG STARS

In order to estimate the mass and age of stars, we construct a grid of stellar models for eight solar-analog stars including diffusion and rotation-induced mixing for the given ranges of stellar mass, metallicity, and rotational rate. By combining stellar models with observational data including lithium abundance, we obtain more accurate estimations of mass and age for solar-analog stars. The results indicate that stars HIP 56948, HIP 73815, and HIP 78399 are three possible solar twins. Furthermore, we find that lithium depletion due to extra-mixing in solar analogs strongly depends on mass, metallicity, and rotational history. Therefore, lithium abundance can be used as a good constraint in stellar modeling.

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DOE OSTI2012

HIGH-MASS, FOUR-PLANET CONFIGURATIONS FOR HR 8799: CONSTRAINING THE ORBITAL INCLINATION AND AGE OF THE SYSTEM

Debates regarding the age and inclination of the planetary system orbiting HR 8799, and the release of additional astrometric data following the discovery of the fourth planet, prompted us to examine the possibility of constraining these two quantities by studying the long-term stability of this system at different orbital inclinations and in its high-mass configuration (7-10-10-10 M{sub Jup}). We carried out {approx}1.5 million N-body integrations for different combinations of orbital elements of the four planets. The most dynamically stable combinations survived less than {approx}5 Myr at inclinations of 0 Degree-Sign and 13 Degree-Sign , and 41, 46, and 31 Myr at 18 Degree-Sign , 23 Degree-Sign , and 30 Degree-Sign , respectively. Given such short lifetimes and the location of the system on the age-luminosity diagram for low-mass objects, the most reasonable conclusion of our study is that the planetary masses are less than 7-10-10-10 M{sub Jup} and the system is quite young. Two trends to note from our work are as follows. (1) In the most stable systems, the higher the inclination, the more the coordinates for planets b and c diverge from the oldest archival astrometric data (released after we completed our N-body integrations), suggesting that either these planets are in eccentric orbits or have lower orbital inclinations than that of planet d. (2) The most stable systems place planet e closer to the central star than is observed, supporting the conclusion that the planets are more massive and the system is young. We present the details of our simulations and discuss the implications of the results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THE PANCHROMATIC HUBBLE ANDROMEDA TREASURY. III. MEASURING AGES AND MASSES OF PARTIALLY RESOLVED STELLAR CLUSTERS

The apparent age and mass of a stellar cluster can be strongly affected by stochastic sampling of the stellar initial mass function (IMF), when inferred from the integrated color of low-mass clusters ({approx}<10{sup 4} M {sub Sun }). We use simulated star clusters to show that these effects are minimized when the brightest, rapidly evolving stars in a cluster can be resolved, and the light of the fainter, more numerous unresolved stars can be analyzed separately. When comparing the light from the less luminous cluster members to models of unresolved light, more accurate age estimates can be obtained than when analyzing the integrated light from the entire cluster under the assumption that the IMF is fully populated. We show the success of this technique first using simulated clusters, and then with a stellar cluster in M31. This method represents one way of accounting for the discrete, stochastic sampling of the stellar IMF in less massive clusters and can be leveraged in studies of clusters throughout the Local Group and other nearby galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A VLT/FLAMES STUDY OF THE PECULIAR INTERMEDIATE-AGE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD STAR CLUSTER NGC 1846. I. KINEMATICS

In this paper we present high-resolution VLT/FLAMES observations of red giant stars in the massive intermediate-age Large Magellanic Cloud star cluster NGC 1846, which, on the basis of its extended main-sequence turnoff (EMSTO), possesses an internal age spread of Almost-Equal-To 300 Myr. We describe in detail our target selection and data reduction procedures, and construct a sample of 21 stars possessing radial velocities indicating their membership of NGC 1846 at high confidence. We consider high-resolution spectra of the planetary nebula Mo-17, and conclude that this object is also a member of the cluster. Our measured radial velocities allow us to conduct a detailed investigation of the internal kinematics of NGC 1846, the first time this has been done for an EMSTO system. The key result of this work is that the cluster exhibits a significant degree of systemic rotation, of a magnitude comparable to the mean velocity dispersion. Using an extensive suite of Monte Carlo models we demonstrate that, despite our relatively small sample size and the substantial fraction of unresolved binary stars in the cluster, the rotation signal we detect is very likely to be genuine. Our observations are in qualitative agreement with the predictions of simulations modeling the formation of multiple populations of stars in globular clusters, where a dynamically cold, rapidly rotating second generation is a common feature. NGC 1846 is less than one relaxation time old, so any dynamical signatures encoded during its formation ought to remain present.

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DOE OSTI2013

A REST-FRAME OPTICAL VIEW ON z {approx} 4 GALAXIES. I. COLOR AND AGE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM DEEP IRAC PHOTOMETRY OF THE IUDF10 AND GOODS SURVEYS

We present a study of rest-frame UV-to-optical color distributions for z {approx} 4 galaxies based on the combination of deep HST/ACS+WFC3/IR data with Spitzer/IRAC imaging. In particular, we use new, ultra-deep data from the IRAC Ultradeep Field program (IUDF10), together with previous, public IRAC data over the GOODS fields. Our sample contains a total of {approx}2600 galaxies selected as B-dropout Lyman-break Galaxies in the HUDF and its deep parallel field HUDF09-2, as well as GOODS-North/South. This sample is used to investigate the UV continuum slopes {beta} and Balmer break colors (J{sub 125} - [4.5]) as a function of rest-frame optical luminosity (using [4.5] to avoid optical emission lines). We find that galaxies at M{sub z} < -21.5 (roughly corresponding to L{sup *}{sub z{approx}4}) are significantly redder than their lower luminosity counterparts. The UV continuum slopes and the J{sub 125} - [4.5] colors are well correlated, indicating that the dust reddening at these redshifts is better described by an SMC-like extinction curve, rather than the typically assumed Calzetti reddening. After dust correction, we find that the galaxy population shows mean stellar population ages in the range 10{sup 8.5} to 10{sup 9} yr, with a dispersion of {approx}0.5 dex, and only weak trends as a function of luminosity. Only a small fraction of galaxies shows Balmer break colors consistent with extremely young ages, younger than 100 Myr. Under the assumption of smooth star-formation histories, this fraction is 12%-19% for galaxies at M{sub z} < -19.75. Our results are consistent with a gradual build-up of stars and dust in galaxies at z > 4 with only a small fraction of stars being formed in short, intense bursts of star-formation.

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DOE OSTI2014

Constraining the age of the NGC 4565 H I disk WARP: Determining the origin of gas WARPS

We have mapped the distribution of young and old stars in the gaseous H I warp of NGC 4565. We find a clear correlation of young stars (<600 Myr) with the warp but no coincident old stars (>1 Gyr), which places an upper limit on the age of the structure. The formation rate of the young stars, which increased ∼300 Myr ago relative to the surrounding regions, is (6.3{sub −1.5}{sup +2.5})×10{sup −5} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} kpc{sup –2}. This implies a ∼60 ± 20 Gyr depletion time of the H I warp, similar to the timescales calculated for the outer H I disks of nearby spiral galaxies. While some stars associated with the warp fall into the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) region of the color-magnitude diagram, where stars could be as old as 1 Gyr, further investigation suggests that they may be interlopers rather than real AGB stars. We discuss the implications of these age constraints for the formation of H I warps and the gas fueling of disk galaxies.

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DOE OSTI2014

On the age of Gliese 86

Gliese 86 is a nearby planet hosting a visual binary consisting of a K-type primary, Gl 86 A, and a white dwarf secondary, Gl 86 B. In this work, we present a model atmosphere analysis of the M {sub A} = 0.83 M {sub ☉} primary, whose chemistry unambiguously identifies it as a 10 Gyr old disk star. For the secondary, this gives rise to a progenitor mass M {sub prog} = 1.11 ± 0.05 M {sub ☉}, and—by inference with its local sibling o {sup 2} Eri—a white dwarf mass M {sub B} = 0.49 ± 0.02 M {sub ☉}. The discrepancy with the 2-3 Gyr chromospheric age of Gl 86 A, as first noted by Rocha-Pinto, Castilho and Maciel, is thus most plausibly the result of a former accretion of mass and angular momentum from the distant degenerate. In consequence, this also implies that with respect to shorter-period systems, like Sirius or Procyon, one must expect significant wind accretion when they evolve through the planetary nebula phase, such that the system ages cannot be reliably determined from their currently bright primaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Spectroscopic confirmation of the rich z = 1.80 galaxy cluster JKCS 041 using the WFC3 grism: Environmental trends in the ages and structure of quiescent galaxies

We present Hubble Space Telescope imaging and grism spectroscopy in the field of the distant galaxy cluster JKCS 041 using the Wide Field Camera 3. We confirm that JKCS 041 is a rich cluster and derive a redshift z = 1.80 via the spectroscopic identification of 19 member galaxies, of which 15 are quiescent. These are centered upon diffuse X-ray emission seen by the Chandra observatory. As JKCS 041 is the most distant known cluster with such a large, spectroscopically confirmed quiescent population, it provides a unique opportunity to study the effect of the environment on galaxy properties at early epochs. We construct high-quality composite spectra of the quiescent cluster members that reveal prominent Balmer and metallic absorption lines. Using these, we measure the mean stellar ages in two bins of stellar mass. The quiescent cluster members' ages agree remarkably closely with that inferred by Whitaker et al. for similarly selected samples in the field, supporting the idea that the cluster environment is more efficient at truncating star formation while not having a strong effect on the mean epoch of quenching. We find some evidence (90% confidence) for a lower fraction of disk-like quiescent systems in JKCS 041 compared to a sample of coeval field galaxies drawn from the CANDELS survey. Taking this into account, we do not detect a significant difference between the mass-radius relations of the quiescent JKCS 041 members and our z ∼ 1.8 field sample. Finally, we demonstrate how differences in the morphological mixture of quenched systems can complicate measures of the environmental dependence of size growth.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

DIFFERENT DYNAMICAL AGES FOR THE TWO YOUNG AND COEVAL LMC STAR CLUSTERS, NGC 1805 AND NGC 1818, IMPRINTED ON THEIR BINARY POPULATIONS

The two Large Magellanic Cloud star clusters, NGC 1805 and NGC 1818, are approximately the same chronological age (∼30 Myr), but show different radial trends in binary frequency. The F-type stars (1.3–2.2 M{sub ⊙}) in NGC 1818 have a binary frequency that decreases toward the core, while the binary frequency for stars of similar mass in NGC 1805 is flat with radius, or perhaps bimodal (with a peak in the core). We show here, through detailed N-body modeling, that both clusters could have formed with the same primordial binary frequency and with binary orbital elements and masses drawn from the same distributions (defined from observations of open clusters and the field of our Galaxy). The observed radial trends in binary frequency for both clusters are best matched with models that have initial substructure. Furthermore, both clusters may be evolving along a very similar dynamical sequence, with the key difference that NGC 1805 is dynamically older than NGC 1818. The F-type binaries in NGC 1818 still show evidence of an initial period of rapid dynamical disruptions (which occur preferentially in the core), while NGC 1805 has already begun to recover a higher core binary frequency, owing to mass segregation (which will eventually produce a distribution in binary frequency that rises only toward the core, as is observed in old Milky Way star clusters). This recovery rate increases for higher-mass binaries, and therefore even at one age in one cluster, we predict a similar dynamical sequence in the radial distribution of the binary frequency as a function of binary primary mass.

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DOE OSTI2015

The ages, metallicities, and element abundance ratios of massive quenched galaxies at z≃1.6

We investigate the stellar population properties of a sample of 24 massive quenched galaxies at 1.25<z{sub spec}<2.09 identified in the COSMOS field with our Subaru/Multi-object Infrared Camera and Spectrograph near-IR spectroscopic observations. Tracing the stellar population properties as close to their major formation epoch as possible, we try to put constraints on the star formation history, post-quenching evolution, and possible progenitor star-forming populations for such massive quenched galaxies. By using a set of Lick absorption line indices on a rest-frame optical composite spectrum, the average age, metallicity [Z/H], and α-to-iron element abundance ratio [α/Fe] are derived as log(age/Gyr)=0.04{sub −0.08}{sup +0.10}, [Z/H]=0.24{sub −0.14}{sup +0.20}, and [α/Fe]=0.31{sub −0.12}{sup +0.12}, respectively. If our sample of quenched galaxies at 〈z〉=1.6 is evolved passively to z = 0, their stellar population properties will align in excellent agreement with local counterparts at similar stellar velocity dispersions, which qualifies them as progenitors of local massive early-type galaxies. Redshift evolution of stellar population ages in quenched galaxies combined with low redshift measurements from the literature suggests a formation redshift of z{sub f}∼2.3, around which the bulk of stars in these galaxies have been formed. The measured [α/Fe] value indicates a star formation timescale of ≲1 Gyr, which can be translated into a specific star formation rate of ≃1 Gyr{sup −1} prior to quenching. Based on these findings, we discuss identifying possible progenitor star-forming galaxies at z≃2.3. We identify normal star-forming galaxies, i.e., those on the star-forming main sequence, followed by a rapid quenching event, as likely precursors of the quenched galaxies at 〈z〉=1.6 presented here.

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DOE OSTI2015

HST/ACS DIRECT AGES OF THE DWARF ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES NGC 147 AND NGC 185

We present the deepest optical photometry for any dwarf elliptical (dE) galaxy based on Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) observations of the Local Group dE galaxies NGC 147 and NGC 185. Our F606W and F814W color–magnitude diagrams are the first to reach below the oldest main sequence turnoff in a dE galaxy, allowing us to determine full star formation histories in these systems. The ACS fields are located roughly ∼1.5 effective radii from the galaxy center to avoid photometric crowding. While both ACS fields show unambiguous evidence for old and intermediate age stars, the mean age of NGC 147 is ∼4–5 Gyr younger as compared to NGC 185. In NGC 147, only 40% of stars were in place 12.5 Gyr ago (z ∼ 5), with the bulk of the remaining stellar population forming between 5 to 7 Gyr. In contrast, 70% of stars were formed in NGC 185 prior to 12.5 Gyr ago with the majority of the remaining population forming between 8 to 10 Gyr ago. Star formation has ceased in both ACS fields for at least 3 Gyr. Previous observations in the central regions of NGC 185 show evidence for star formation as recent as 100 Myr ago, and a strong metallicity gradient with radius. This implies a lack of radial mixing between the center of NGC 185 and our ACS field. The lack of radial gradients in NGC 147 suggests that our inferred SFHs are more representative of its global history. We interpret the inferred differences in star formation histories to imply an earlier infall time into the M31 environment for NGC 185 as compared to NGC 147.

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DOE OSTI2015

ADIABATIC MASS LOSS IN BINARY STARS. II. FROM ZERO-AGE MAIN SEQUENCE TO THE BASE OF THE GIANT BRANCH

In the limit of extremely rapid mass transfer, the response of a donor star in an interacting binary becomes asymptotically one of adiabatic expansion. We survey here adiabatic mass loss from Population I stars (Z = 0.02) of mass 0.10 M{sub ⊙}–100 M{sub ⊙} from the zero-age main sequence to the base of the giant branch, or to central hydrogen exhaustion for lower main sequence stars. The logarithmic derivatives of radius with respect to mass along adiabatic mass-loss sequences translate into critical mass ratios for runaway (dynamical timescale) mass transfer, evaluated here under the assumption of conservative mass transfer. For intermediate- and high-mass stars, dynamical mass transfer is preceded by an extended phase of thermal timescale mass transfer as the star is stripped of most of its envelope mass. The critical mass ratio q{sub ad} (throughout this paper, we follow the convention of defining the binary mass ratio as q ≡ M{sub donor}/M{sub accretor}) above which this delayed dynamical instability occurs increases with advancing evolutionary age of the donor star, by ever-increasing factors for more massive donors. Most intermediate- or high-mass binaries with nondegenerate accretors probably evolve into contact before manifesting this instability. As they approach the base of the giant branch, however, and begin developing a convective envelope, q{sub ad} plummets dramatically among intermediate-mass stars, to values of order unity, and a prompt dynamical instability occurs. Among low-mass stars, the prompt instability prevails throughout main sequence evolution, with q{sub ad} declining with decreasing mass, and asymptotically approaching q{sub ad} = 2/3, appropriate to a classical isentropic n = 3/2 polytrope. Our calculated q{sub ad} values agree well with the behavior of time-dependent models by Chen and Han of intermediate-mass stars initiating mass transfer in the Hertzsprung gap. Application of our results to cataclysmic variables, as systems that must be stable against rapid mass transfer, nicely circumscribes the range in q{sub ad} as a function of the orbital period in which they are found. These results are intended to advance the verisimilitude of population synthesis models of close binary evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

No Keplerian disk >10 AU around the protostar B335: Magnetic braking or young age?

We have conducted Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) cycle 2 observations in the 1.3 mm continuum and in the C{sup 18}O (2–1) and SO (5{sub 6}–4{sub 5}) lines at a resolution of ∼0.″3 toward the Class 0 protostar B335. The 1.3 mm continuum, C{sup 18}O, and SO emission all show central compact components with sizes of ∼40–180 AU within more extended components. The C{sup 18}O component shows signs of infalling and rotational motion. By fitting simple kinematic models to the C{sup 18}O data, the protostellar mass is estimated to be 0.05 M{sub ⊙}. The specific angular momentum, on a 100 AU scale, is (4.3 ± 0.5) × 10{sup −5} km s{sup −1} pc. A similar specific angular momentum, (3–5) × 10{sup −5} km s{sup −1} pc, is measured on a 10 AU scale from the velocity gradient observed in the central SO component, and there is no clear sign of an infalling motion in the SO emission. By comparing the infalling and rotational motion, our ALMA results suggest that the observed rotational motion has not yet reached Keplerian velocity neither on a 100 AU nor even on a 10 AU scale. Consequently, the radius of the Keplerian disk in B335 (if present) is expected to be 1–3 AU. The expected disk radius in B335 is one to two orders of magnitude smaller than those of observed Keplerian disks around other Class 0 protostars. Based on the observed infalling and rotational motion from 0.1 pc to inner 100 AU scales, there are two possible scenarios to explain the presence of such a small Keplerian disk in B335: magnetic braking and young age. If our finding is the consequence of magnetic braking, ∼50% of the angular momentum of the infalling material within a 1000 AU scale might have been removed, and the magnetic field strength on a 1000 AU scale is estimated to be ∼200 μG. If it is young age, the infalling radius in B335 is estimated to be ∼2700 AU, corresponding to a collapsing timescale of ∼5 × 10{sup 4} years.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

REEXAMINING THE LITHIUM DEPLETION BOUNDARY IN THE PLEIADES AND THE INFERRED AGE OF THE CLUSTER

Moderate-dispersion (R ∼ 5400), optical spectroscopy of seven brown dwarf candidate members of the Pleiades was obtained using the Echellette Spectrograph and Imager on the Keck II telescope. The proper motion and photometrically selected sample lies on the single-star main sequence of the cluster and effectively brackets the established lithium depletion boundary. The brown dwarf candidates range in spectral type from M6 to M7, implying effective temperatures between ∼2800 and 2650 K. All sources exhibit Hα emission, consistent with enhanced chromospheric activity that is expected for young, very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs. Li i λ6708 absorption is confidently detected in the photospheres of two of the seven sources. A revised lithium depletion boundary is established in the near-infrared where the effects of extinction and variability are minimized. This lithium depletion edge occurs near K{sub o} = 14.45 or M{sub K} = 8.78 mag (UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey), assuming the most accurate and precise distance estimate for the cluster of 136.2 pc. From recent theoretical evolutionary models, a revised age of τ = 112 ± 5 Myr is determined for the Pleiades. Accounting for the effects of magnetic activity on the photospheres of these very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs, however, would imply an even younger age for the cluster of ∼100 Myr.

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