Browsing by Author "Valcarce, A. A. R."

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    The galactic globular cluster M5 (NGC 5904) as a particle physics laboratory
    (2013) Viaux, N.; Catelan, Marcio; Raffelt, G. G.; Redondo, J.; Valcarce, A. A. R.
    Globular clusters have been used for a long time to test stellar evolution theories, and in particular to constrain novel forms of energy loss in low-mass stars. This includes constraints on axion properties, neutrino dipole moments, milli-charged particles, Kaluza-Klein gravitons, and many other phenomena. Depending on their interaction strength, these particles can be abundantly produced in stellar interiors, escape without further interaction, and thus drain energy directly from the stellar interior. Hence, they contribute directly to the stellar energy losses, thus modifying stellar evolution. Our goal is to re-examine such constraints in the light of modern data and updated stellar evolution codes, paying particular attention to systematic and statistical errors. As a first example, we consider the case of a neutrino magnetic moment that enhances the energy loss from the plasma process. In terms of the observed color-magnitude diagrams, the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) has been identified as a sensitive observable of the effects of the energy losses due to a neutrino magnetic moment. Here we describe the consequences of adding the cooling effect due to a neutrino magnetic moment to the Princeton-Goddard-PUC (PGPUC) stellar evolution code, exploring in particular the dependence of the position of the RGB tip on the neutrino magnetic moment. As a first application, we studied the position of the observed RGB tip in the case of the Galactic globular cluster M5 (NGC 5904), using the latest, high-precision, ground-based data from the P. B. Stetson database (2012, priv. comm.). We compare the empirical results with the PGPUC model predictions, and discuss the implied constraints on the value of the neutrino magnetic moment....
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    The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea extended (VVVX) ESO public survey: Completion of the observations and legacy
    (2024) Saito, R. K.; Hempel, M.; Alonso-Garcia, J.; Lucas, P. W.; Minniti, D.; Alonso, S.; Baravalle, L.; Borissova, J.; Caceres, C.; Chene, A. N.; Cross, N. J. G.; Duplancic, F.; Garro, E. R.; Gomez, M.; Ivanov, V. D.; Kurtev, R.; Luna, A.; Majaess, D.; Navarro, M. G.; Pullen, J. B.; Rejkuba, M.; Sanders, J. L.; Smith, L. C.; Albino, P. H. C.; Alonso, M. V.; Amores, E. B.; Angeloni, R.; Arias, J. I.; Arnaboldi, M.; Barbuy, B.; Bayo, A.; Beamin, J. C.; Bedin, L. R.; Bellini, A.; Benjamin, R. A.; Bica, E.; Bonatto, C. J.; Botan, E.; Braga, V. F.; Brown, D. A.; Cabral, J. B.; Camargo, D.; Garatti, Caratti O. A.; Carballo-Bello, J. A.; Catelan, M.; Chavero, C.; Chijani, M. A.; Claria, J. J.; Coldwell, G. V.; Pena, C. Contreras; Contreras Ramos, R.; Corral-Santana, J. M.; Cortes, C. C.; Cortes-Contreras, M.; Cruz, P.; Daza-Perilla, I. V.; Debattista, V. P.; Dias, B.; Donoso, L.; D'Souza, R.; Emerson, J. P.; Federle, S.; Fermiano, V.; Fernandez, J.; Fernandez-Trincado, J. G.; Ferreira, T.; Ferreira Lopes, C. E.; Firpo, V.; Flores-Quintana, C.; Fraga, L.; Froebrich, D.; Galdeano, D.; Gavignaud, I.; Geisler, D.; Gerhard, O. E.; Gieren, W.; Gonzalez, O. A.; Gramajo, L. V.; Gran, F.; Granitto, P. M.; Griggio, M.; Guo, Z.; Gurovich, S.; Hilker, M.; Jones, H. R. A.; Kammers, R.; Kuhn, M. A.; Kumar, M. S. N.; Kundu, R.; Lares, M.; Libralato, M.; Lima, E.; Maccarone, T. J.; Marchant Cortes, P.; Martin, E. L.; Masetti, N.; Matsunaga, N.; Mauro, F.; McDonald, I.; Mejias, A.; Mesa, V.; Milla-Castro, F. P.; Minniti, J. H.; Moni Bidin, C.; Montenegro, K.; Morris, C.; Motta, V.; Navarete, F.; Navarro Molina, C.; Nikzat, F.; Nilo Castellon, J. L.; Obasi, C.; Ortigoza-Urdaneta, M.; Palma, T.; Parisi, C.; Pena Ramirez, K.; Pereyra, L.; Perez, N.; Petralia, I.; Pichel, A.; Pignata, G.; Ramirez Alegria, S.; Rojas, A. F.; Rojas, D.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Rovero, A. C.; Saroon, S.; Schmidt, E. O.; Schroeder, A. C.; Schultheis, M.; Sgro, M. A.; Solano, E.; Soto, M.; Stecklum, B.; Steeghs, D.; Tamura, M.; Tissera, P.; Valcarce, A. A. R.; Valotto, C. A.; Vasquez, S.; Villalon, C.; Villanova, S.; Vivanco Cadiz, F.; Zelada Bacigalupo, R.; Zijlstra, A.; Zoccali, M.
    Context. The ESO public survey VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) surveyed the inner Galactic bulge and the adjacent southern Galactic disk from 2009-2015. Upon its conclusion, the complementary VVV extended (VVVX) survey has expanded both the temporal as well as spatial coverage of the original VVV area, widening it from 562 to 1700 sq. deg., as well as providing additional epochs in JHKs filters from 2016-2023.
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    Using classical Cepheids to study the far side of the Milky Way disk II. The spiral structure in the first and fourth Galactic quadrants
    (2021) Minniti, J. H.; Zoccali, M.; Rojas-Arriagada, A.; Minniti, D.; Sbordone, L.; Ramos, R. Contreras; Braga, V. F.; Catelan, M.; Duffau, S.; Gieren, W.; Marconi, M.; Valcarce, A. A. R.
    In an effort to improve our understanding of the spiral arm structure of the Milky Way, we use classical Cepheids (CCs) to increase the number of young tracers on the far side of the Galactic disk with accurately determined distances. We used a sample of 30 CCs that were discovered using near-infrared photometry from the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea survey (VVV) and classified based on their radial velocities and metallicities. We combined them with another 20 CCs from the literature for which VVV photometry is available. We used the compiled sample of CCs with homogeneously computed distances based on VVV infrared photometry as a proof of concept to trace the spiral structure in the poorly explored far side of the disk. Although the use of CCs has some caveats, these variables are currently the only available young tracers on the far side of the disk for which a numerous sample with accurate distances can be obtained. Therefore, a larger sample could allow us to make a significant step forward in our understanding of the Milky Way disk as a whole. We present preliminary evidence that CCs favor the following: a spiral arm model with two main arms (Perseus and Scutum-Centaurus) that branch out into four arms at Galactocentric distances, R-GC >= 5-6 kpc; the extension of the Scutum-Centaurus arm behind the Galactic center; and a possible connection between the Perseus arm and the Norma tangency direction. The current sample of CCs on the far side of the Galaxy are in the mid-plane, which argues against the presence of a severely warped disk at small Galactocentric distances (R-GC <= 12 kpc) in the studied area. The discovery and characterization of CCs at near-infrared wavelengths appears to be a promising tool to complement studies based on other spiral arm tracers and extend them to the far side of our Galaxy.