Abstract
We present a method for the photometric selection of metal-poor halo giants from the imaging data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). These stars are offset from the stellar locus in the g-r versus u-g color-color diagram. Based on a sample of 29 candidates for which spectra were taken, we derive a selection efficiency of the order of 50% for stars brighter than r ∼ 17 mag. The candidates selected in 400 deg of sky from the SDSS Early Data Release trace the known halo structures (tidal streams from the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy and the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy), indicating that such a color-selected sample can be used to study the halo structure even without spectroscopic information. This method, and supplemental techniques for selecting halo stars, such as RR Lyrae stars and other blue horizontal-branch stars, can produce an unprecedented three-dimensional map of the Galactic halo based on the SDSS imaging survey.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 195-200 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 586 |
Issue number | 1 I |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 20 2003 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science
Keywords
- Galaxy: general
- Galaxy: halo
- Galaxy: structure
- Stars: Population II
- Surveys
- Techniques: photometric