Person: Gorgas García, Francisco Javier
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First Name
Francisco Javier
Last Name
Gorgas García
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Ciencias Físicas
Department
Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica
Area
Astronomía y Astrofísica
Identifiers
15 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 15
Item Empirical calibration of the near-infrared CaII triplet - I. The stellar library and index definition(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2001) Cenarro, A. J.; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Gorgas García, Francisco Javier; Peletier, R. F.; Vazdekis, A.; Prada, F.A new stellar library at the near-IR spectral region developed for the empirical calibration of the Ca II triplet and stellar population synthesis modelling is presented. The library covers the range lambda lambda 8348-9020 at 1.5-Angstrom (FWHM) spectral resolution, and consists of 706 stars spanning a wide range in atmospheric parameters. We have defined a new set of near-IR indices, CaT*, CaT and PaT, which mostly overcome the limitations of previous definitions, the former being specially suited for the measurement of the Ca II triplet strength corrected for the contamination from Paschen lines. We also present a comparative study of the new and the previous Ca indices, as well as the corresponding transformations between the different systems. A thorough analysis of the sources of index errors and the procedure to calculate them is given. Finally, index and error measurements for the whole stellar library are provided together with the final spectra.Item Evidence for intermediate-age stellar populations in early-type galaxies from K-band spectroscopy(Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2009) Mármol Queraltó, E.; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Sánchez Blázquez, Patricia; Trager, S. C.; Peletier, R. F.; Kuntschner, H.; Silva, D. R.; Cenarro, A. J.; Vazdekis, A.; Gorgas García, Francisco JavierThe study of stellar populations in early-type galaxies in different environments is a powerful tool for constraining their star formation histories. This study has been traditionally restricted to the optical range, where dwarfs around the turn-off and stars at the base of the red giant branch dominate the integrated light at all ages. The near-infrared spectral range is especially interesting since in the presence of an intermediate-age population, asymptotic giant branch stars are the main contributors. In this Letter, we measure the near-infrared indices Na I and D(CO) for a sample of 12 early-type galaxies in low-density environments and compare them with the Fornax galaxy sample presented by Silva et al.. The analysis of these indices in combination with Lick/IDS indices in the optical range reveals that (1) the Na I index is a metallicity indicator as good as C4668 in the optical range, and (2) D(CO) is a tracer of intermediate-age stellar populations. We find that low-mass galaxies in low-density environments show higher Na I and D(CO) than those located in the Fornax cluster, which points toward a late stage of star formation for the galaxies in less dense environments, in agreement with results from other studies using independent methods.Item Medium-resolution Isaac Newton Telescope library of empirical spectra - II. The stellar atmospheric parameters(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2007) Cenarro, A. J.; Peletier, R. F.; Sánchez Blázquez, Patricia; Selam, S. O.; Toloba, E.; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Falcón Barroso, J.; Gorgas García, Francisco Javier; Jiménez Vicente, J.; Vazdekis, A.We present a homogeneous set of stellar atmospheric parameters (T-eff, log g, [Fe/H]) for MILES, a new spectral stellar library covering the range lambda lambda 3525-7500 angstrom at 2.3 angstrom (FWHM) spectral resolution. The library consists of 985 stars spanning a large range in atmospheric parameters, from super-metal-rich, cool stars to hot, metal-poor stars. The spectral resolution, spectral type coverage and number of stars represent a substantial improvement over previous libraries used in population synthesis models. The atmospheric parameters that we present here are the result of a previous, extensive compilation from the literature. In order to construct a homogeneous data set of atmospheric parameters we have taken the sample of stars of Soubiran, Katz & Cayrel, which has very well determined fundamental parameters, as the standard reference system for our field stars, and have calibrated and bootstrapped the data from other papers against it. The atmospheric parameters for our cluster stars have also been revised and updated according to recent metallicity scales, colour-temperature relations and improved set of isochrones.Item On the environmental dependence of the cluster galaxy assembly timescale(Astrophysical journal, 2004) Carretero, C.; Vazdekis, A.; Beckman, J. E.; Sánchez Blázquez, Patricia; Gorgas García, Francisco JavierWe present estimates of CN and Mg overabundances with respect to Fe for early-type galaxies in eight clusters over a range of richness and morphology. Spectra were taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 1 and from William Hershel Telescope and Centro Astronómico Hispano-Alemán observations. Abundances were derived from absorption lines and single-burst population models, by comparing galaxy spectra with appropriately broadened synthetic model spectra. We detect correlations between the [Mg/CN] and [CN/Fe] values and the cluster X-ray luminosity. No correlation is observed for [Mg/Fe]. We also see a clear trend in the richness and morphology of the clusters. This is interpreted as giving varying formation timescales for CN, Mg, and Fe and a varying star formation history in early-type galaxies as a function of their environment: intermediate-mass early-type galaxies in more massive clusters are assembled on shorter timescales than in less massive clusters, with an upper limit of ~1 Gyr.Item A new stellar library in the region of the CO index at 2.3 mu m - New index definition and empirical fitting functions(Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2008) Mármol Queraltó, E.; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Cenarro, A. J.; Vazdekis, A.; Gorgas García, Francisco Javier; Pedraz, S.; Peletier, R. F.; Sánchez Blázquez, PatriciaThe analysis of unresolved stellar populations demands evolutionary synthesis models with realistic physical ingredients and extended wavelength coverage. Aims. We quantitatively describe the first CO bandhead at 2.3 mu m to allow stellar population models to provide improved predictions in this wavelength range. Methods. We observed a new stellar library with a better coverage of the stellar atmospheric parameter space than in earlier works. We performed a detailed analysis of the robustness of previous CO index definitions with spectral resolution, wavelength calibration, signal-to-noise ratio, and flux calibration. Results. We define a new line-strength index for the first CO bandhead at 2.3 mu m, DCO, better suited for stellar population studies than previous index definitions. We derive empirical fitting functions for the CO feature as a function of the stellar parameters (T(eff), log g and [Fe/H]), showing a detailed quantitative metallicity dependence.Item The relation between stellar populations, structure and environment for dwarf elliptical galaxies from the MAGPOP-ITP(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2008) Michielsen, D.; Boselli, A.; Conselice, C. J.; Toloba, E.; Whiley, I. M.; Aragón Salamanca, A.; Balcells, M.; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Cenarro, A. J.; Gorgas García, Francisco Javier; Peletier, R. F.; Vazdekis, A.Dwarf galaxies, as the most numerous type of galaxy, offer the potential to study galaxy formation and evolution in detail in the nearby universe. Although they seem to be simple systems at first view, they remain poorly understood. In an attempt to alleviate this situation, the MAGPOP EU Research and Training Network embarked on a study of dwarf galaxies named MAGPOP-ITP. In this paper, we present the analysis of a sample of 24 dwarf elliptical galaxies (dEs) in the Virgo cluster and in the field, using optical long-slit spectroscopy. We examine their stellar populations in combination with their light distribution and environment. We confirm and strengthen previous results that dEs are, on average, younger and more metal-poor than normal elliptical galaxies, and that their [alpha/Fe] abundance ratios scatter around solar. This is in accordance with the downsizing picture of galaxy formation where mass is the main driver for the star formation history. We also find new correlations between the luminosity-weighted mean age, the large-scale asymmetry, and the projected Virgocentric distance. We find that environment plays an important role in the termination of the star formation activity by ram-pressure stripping of the gas in short time-scales, and in the transformation of discy dwarfs to more spheroidal objects by harassment over longer time-scales. This points towards a continuing infalling scenario for the evolution of dEs.Item Empirical calibration of the near-infrared CaII triplet - IV. The stellar population synthesis models(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2003) Vazdekis, A.; Cenarro, A. J.; Gorgas García, Francisco Javier; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Peletier, R. F.We present a new evolutionary stellar population synthesis model, which predicts spectral energy distributions for single-age single-metallicity stellar populations (SSPs) at resolution 1.5 Angstrom (FWHM) in the spectral region of the near-infrared Ca II triplet feature. The main ingredient of the model is a new extensive empirical stellar spectral library that has been recently presented by Cenarro et al., which is composed of more than 600 stars with an unprecedented coverage of the stellar atmospheric parameters. Two main products of interest for stellar population analysis are presented. The first is a spectral library for SSPs with metallicities -1.7<[Fe/H]<+0.2, a large range of ages (0.1-18 Gyr) and initial mass function (IMF) types. They are well suited to modelling galaxy data, since the SSP spectra, with flux-calibrated response curves, can be smoothed to the resolution of the observational data, taking into account the internal velocity dispersion of the galaxy, allowing the user to analyse the observed spectrum in its own system. We also produce integrated absorption-line indices (namely CaT*, CaT and PaT) for the same SSPs in the form of equivalent widths. We find the following behaviour for the Ca II triplet feature in old-aged SSPs: (i) the strength of the CaT* index does not change much with time for all metallicities for ages larger than similar to3 Gyr; (ii) this index shows a strong dependence on metallicity for values below [M/H]similar to-0.5; and (iii) for larger metallicities this feature does not show a significant dependence either on age or on the metallicity, being more sensitive to changes in the slope of power-like IMF shapes. The SSP spectra have been calibrated with measurements for globular clusters by Armandroff & Zinn, which are well reproduced, probing the validity of using the integrated Ca II triplet feature for determining the metallicities of these systems. Fitting the models to two early-type galaxies of different luminosities (NGC 4478 and 4365), we find that the Ca II triplet measurements cannot be fitted unless a very dwarf-dominated IMF is imposed, or if the Ca abundance is even lower than the Fe abundance. More details can be found in work by Cenarro et al.Item Empirical calibration of the near-infrared CaII triplet - II. The stellar atmospheric parameters(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2001) Cenarro, A. J.; Gorgas García, Francisco Javier; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Pedraz, S.; Peletier, R. F.; Vazdekis, A.We present a homogeneous set of stellar atmospheric parameters (T-eff, log g, [Fe/H]) for a sample of about 700 field and cluster stars which constitute a new stellar library in the near-IR developed for stellar population synthesis in this spectral region (lambda 8350-9020). Having compiled the available atmospheric data in the literature for field stars, we have found systematic deviations between the atmospheric parameters from different bibliographic references. The Soubiran, Katz & Cayrel sample of stars with very well determined fundamental parameters has been taken as our standard reference system, and other papers have been calibrated and bootstrapped against it. The obtained transformations are provided in this paper. Once most of the data sets were on the same system, final parameters were derived by performing error weighted means. Atmospheric parameters for cluster stars have also been revised and updated according to recent metallicity scales and colour-temperature relations.Item Stellar population study in early-type galaxies: an approach from the K band(Stellar populations: planning for the next decade, 2009) Mármol Queraltó, Esther; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Sánchez Blázquez, Patricia; Trager, S.C.; Peletier, R. F.; Kuntschner, H.; Silva, D. R.; Cenarro, A. J.; Vazdekis, A.; Gorgas García, Francisco JavierA full understanding of the physical properties of integrated stellar systems demands a multiwavelength approach since each spectral window shows us the contribution of different types of stars. However, most of the observational effort in stellar population studies has been focused on the optical range. Now, the new generation of instruments allow us to explore the K band, where RGB and AGB stars dominate the light of the integrated spectra. Here we present a K-band spectroscopic analysis of early-type galaxies in different environments. Our sample comprises 12 field early-type galaxies observed with ISAAC at VLT with medium resolution, and they are compared with 11 Fornax cluster galaxies previously reported by Silva et al. (2008). The clear differences found in the infrared DCO and NaI indices between field and Fornax galaxies are discussed, trying to solve the puzzle formed by the near-infrared and optical measurements.Item Mg and TiO spectral features at the near-IR: spectrophotometric index definitions and empirical calibrations(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2009) Cenarro, A. J.; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Vazdekis, A.; Gorgas García, Francisco JavierUsing the near-infrared spectral stellar library of Cenarro et al., the behaviour of the Mg i line at 8807 A and nearby TiO bands is analyzed in terms of the effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity of the library stars. New spectroscopic indices for both spectral features - namely MgI and sTiO - are defined, and their sensitivities to different signal-to-noise ratios, spectral resolutions, flux calibrations and sky emission-line residuals are characterized. The two new indices exhibit interesting properties. In particular, MgI is a good indicator of the Mg abundance, whereas sTiO is a powerful dwarf-to-giant discriminator for cold spectral types. Empirical fitting polynomials that reproduce the strength of the new indices as a function of the stellar atmospheric parameters are computed, and a fortran routine with the fitting function predictions is made available. A thorough study of several error sources, non-solar [Mg/Fe] ratios and their influence on the fitting function residuals is also presented. From this analysis, an [Mg/Fe] underabundance of similar to -0.04 is derived for the Galactic open cluster M67.