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The Gaia-ESO Survey: Extracting diffuse interstellar bands from cool star spectra DIB-based interstellar medium line-of-sight structures at the kpc scale

Puspitarini, L. ; Lallement, R. ; Babusiaux, C. ; Chen, H. -C. ; Bonifacio, P. ; Sbordone, L. ; Caffau, E. ; Duffau, S. ; Hill, V. and Monreal-Ibero, A. , et al. (2015) In Astronomy & Astrophysics 573.
Abstract
Aims. We study how diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) measured toward distance-distributed target stars can be used to locate dense interstellar (IS) clouds in the Galaxy and probe a line-of-sight (LOS) kinematical structure, a potentially useful tool when gaseous absorption lines are saturated or not available in the spectral range. Cool target stars are numerous enough for this purpose. Methods. We devised automated DIB-fitting methods appropriate for cool star spectra and multiple IS components. The data were fitted with a combination of a synthetic stellar spectrum, a synthetic telluric transmission, and empirical DIB profiles. The initial number of DIB components and their radial velocity were guided by HI 21 cm emission spectra, or,... (More)
Aims. We study how diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) measured toward distance-distributed target stars can be used to locate dense interstellar (IS) clouds in the Galaxy and probe a line-of-sight (LOS) kinematical structure, a potentially useful tool when gaseous absorption lines are saturated or not available in the spectral range. Cool target stars are numerous enough for this purpose. Methods. We devised automated DIB-fitting methods appropriate for cool star spectra and multiple IS components. The data were fitted with a combination of a synthetic stellar spectrum, a synthetic telluric transmission, and empirical DIB profiles. The initial number of DIB components and their radial velocity were guided by HI 21 cm emission spectra, or, when available in the spectral range, IS neutral sodium absorption lines. For NaI, radial velocities of NaI lines and DIBs were maintained linked during a global simultaneous fit. In parallel, stellar distances and extinctions were estimated self-consistently by means of a 2D Bayesian method from spectroscopically-derived stellar parameters and photometric data. Results. We have analyzed Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) spectra of 225 stars that probe between similar to 2 and 10 kpc long LOS in five different regions of the Milky Way. The targets are the two CoRoT fields, two open clusters (NGC 4815 and gamma Vel), and the Galactic bulge. Two OGLE fields toward the bulge observed before the GES are also included (205 target stars). Depending on the observed spectral intervals, we extracted one or more of the following DIBs: lambda lambda 6283.8, 6613.6, and 8620.4. For each field, we compared the DIB strengths with the Bayesian distances and extinctions, and the DIB Doppler velocities with the HI emission spectra. Conclusions. For all fields, the DIB strength and the target extinction are well correlated. For targets that are widely distributed in distance, marked steps in DIBs and extinction radial distance profiles match each other and broadly correspond to the expected locations of spiral arms. For all fields, the DIB velocity structure agrees with HI emission spectra, and all detected DIBs correspond to strong NaI lines. This illustrates how DIBs can be used to locate the Galactic interstellar gas and to study its kinematics at the kpc scale, as illustrated by Local and Perseus Arm DIBs that differ by greater than or similar to 30 km s(-1), in agreement with HI emission spectra. On the other hand, if most targets are located beyond the main absorber, DIBs can trace the differential reddening within the field. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ISM: lines and bands, ISM: general, extinction, dust, Galaxy: general
in
Astronomy & Astrophysics
volume
573
article number
A35
publisher
EDP Sciences
external identifiers
  • wos:000346901300045
  • scopus:84916917705
ISSN
0004-6361
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/201424391
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dfd18129-5393-463d-bac8-7bf7b4e1c8c8 (old id 5179973)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:00:28
date last changed
2022-12-11 21:28:36
@article{dfd18129-5393-463d-bac8-7bf7b4e1c8c8,
  abstract     = {{Aims. We study how diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) measured toward distance-distributed target stars can be used to locate dense interstellar (IS) clouds in the Galaxy and probe a line-of-sight (LOS) kinematical structure, a potentially useful tool when gaseous absorption lines are saturated or not available in the spectral range. Cool target stars are numerous enough for this purpose. Methods. We devised automated DIB-fitting methods appropriate for cool star spectra and multiple IS components. The data were fitted with a combination of a synthetic stellar spectrum, a synthetic telluric transmission, and empirical DIB profiles. The initial number of DIB components and their radial velocity were guided by HI 21 cm emission spectra, or, when available in the spectral range, IS neutral sodium absorption lines. For NaI, radial velocities of NaI lines and DIBs were maintained linked during a global simultaneous fit. In parallel, stellar distances and extinctions were estimated self-consistently by means of a 2D Bayesian method from spectroscopically-derived stellar parameters and photometric data. Results. We have analyzed Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) spectra of 225 stars that probe between similar to 2 and 10 kpc long LOS in five different regions of the Milky Way. The targets are the two CoRoT fields, two open clusters (NGC 4815 and gamma Vel), and the Galactic bulge. Two OGLE fields toward the bulge observed before the GES are also included (205 target stars). Depending on the observed spectral intervals, we extracted one or more of the following DIBs: lambda lambda 6283.8, 6613.6, and 8620.4. For each field, we compared the DIB strengths with the Bayesian distances and extinctions, and the DIB Doppler velocities with the HI emission spectra. Conclusions. For all fields, the DIB strength and the target extinction are well correlated. For targets that are widely distributed in distance, marked steps in DIBs and extinction radial distance profiles match each other and broadly correspond to the expected locations of spiral arms. For all fields, the DIB velocity structure agrees with HI emission spectra, and all detected DIBs correspond to strong NaI lines. This illustrates how DIBs can be used to locate the Galactic interstellar gas and to study its kinematics at the kpc scale, as illustrated by Local and Perseus Arm DIBs that differ by greater than or similar to 30 km s(-1), in agreement with HI emission spectra. On the other hand, if most targets are located beyond the main absorber, DIBs can trace the differential reddening within the field.}},
  author       = {{Puspitarini, L. and Lallement, R. and Babusiaux, C. and Chen, H. -C. and Bonifacio, P. and Sbordone, L. and Caffau, E. and Duffau, S. and Hill, V. and Monreal-Ibero, A. and Royer, F. and Arenou, F. and Peralta, R. and Drew, J. E. and Bonito, R. and Lopez-Santiago, J. and Alfaro, E. J. and Bensby, Thomas and Bragaglia, A. and Flaccomio, E. and Lanzafame, A. C. and Pancino, E. and Recio-Blanco, A. and Smiljanic, R. and Costado, M. T. and Lardo, C. and de Laverny, P. and Zwitter, T.}},
  issn         = {{0004-6361}},
  keywords     = {{ISM: lines and bands; ISM: general; extinction; dust; Galaxy: general}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{EDP Sciences}},
  series       = {{Astronomy & Astrophysics}},
  title        = {{The Gaia-ESO Survey: Extracting diffuse interstellar bands from cool star spectra DIB-based interstellar medium line-of-sight structures at the kpc scale}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3719958/5266207.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1051/0004-6361/201424391}},
  volume       = {{573}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}