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The Virgo Stellar Stream: Extended sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 April 2010

S. Duffau ,
A. K. Vivas ,
R. Zinn ,
R. A. Méndez  and
M. T. Ruiz
S. Duffau
Affiliation:
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum fuer Astronomie, University of Heidelberg, Moenchhofstrasse 12-14, D-692120, Heidelberg, Germany email: sduffau@ari.uni-heidelberg.de
A. K. Vivas
Affiliation:
Centro de Estudios de Astronomia (CIDA), Apartado Postal 264, Merida 5101-A, Venezuela email: akvivas@cida.ve
R. Zinn
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520-8101USA email: robert.zinn@yale.edu
R. A. Méndez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santaigo, Chile email: mtruiz@das.uchile.cl, rmendez@das.uchile.cl
M. T. Ruiz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santaigo, Chile email: mtruiz@das.uchile.cl, rmendez@das.uchile.cl
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Abstract

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We have completed a spectroscopic study of the “12.4 hr clump”, the second largest substructure in the Quasar Equatorial Survey Team (QUEST) catalog. First discovered as an over-density of RR Lyrae stars (Vivas et al. 2001, ApJL 554 33), the region containing the “12.4 hr clump” has generated much interest (Newberg et al. (2002), Martinez-Delgado et al. (2007), Juric et al. (2008), amongst many others). Our first spectroscopic study of this clump revealed the presence of a sharp peak in the radial velocity histogram for the candidate stars (Duffau et al. 2006). The combination of this result and metal abundance estimates for the sample was then interpreted as a signature of the presence of a stellar stream within the clump. This sub-structure was named the “Virgo Stellar Stream” (VSS), given its location in the direction of the Virgo Constellation, at approximately 20 kpc from the Sun. Several other groups have studied this region and have suggested that the over-density containing the VSS could extend to larger areas of the sky (outside QUEST's observing range). We present the complete spectroscopic follow up of the clump candidates present in QUEST and the composite of the studies we performed along the same l.o.s., including data at brighter magnitudes (Vivas et al. 2008). Our study confirmed the nature of the VSS, revealed its likely extent within the QUEST survey and defined a number of its relevant properties.

Keywords

Galaxy: haloGalaxy: structurestars: variables: other
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S262: Stellar Populations – Planning for the Next Decade , August 2009 , pp. 131 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

References

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