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| Paper: |
Carbon Stars in the Galactic Halo |
| Volume: |
92, Formation of the Galactic Halo. . . . Inside and Out |
| Page: |
200 |
| Authors: |
Totten, E. J.; Irwin, M. J. |
| Abstract: |
A byproduct of the APM high redshift quasar survey (Irwin et al. 1991) was the discovery of ~ 20 distant (20-100kpc) cool AGB carbon stars (all N-type) at high Galactic latitude. In August we used the INT+IDS to survey the rest of the high latitude SGC sky visible from La Palma and found 10 more similar carbon stars. Before this work there were only a handful of published faint high latitude cool carbon stars known (eg. Margon et al., 1984, Mould et al., 1985) and there has been speculation as to their origin (eg. Sanduleak, 1980, van den Bergh & Lafontaine, 1984). Intermediate age carbon stars (3 -- 7 Gyrs) seem unlikely to have formed in the halo in isolation from other star forming regions so how did they get there ? One possiblity that we are investigating, is that they arise from either the disruption of tidally captured dSph galaxies or are a manifestion of the long sought after optical component of the Magellanic Stream. Lack of proper motion rules out the possibility of them being dwarf carbon stars (eg. Warren et al., 1992); indeed no N-type carbon stars have been found to be dwarf carbon stars. Our optical spectroscopy confirms their carbon star type (they are indistinguishable from cool AGB carbon stars in nearby dwarf galaxies) and hence probable large distances. We are extending our survey to the NGC region, obtaining radial velocities and good S:N fluxed spectra for all the carbon stars. This will enable us to investigate their kinematics, true spatial distribution and hence their origin. Even, in the event that these objects are somehow an integral part of the Galactic halo, then their velocities and large distances will enable direct studies of the velocity ellipsoid and rotation of the outer halo (eg. Green et al., 1994). |
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