Infrared variable stars in the compact elliptical galaxy M32 [SSA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2103.15857


Variable stars in the compact elliptical galaxy M32 are identified, using three epochs of photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope at 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu$m, separated by 32 to 381 days. We present a high-fidelity catalogue of sources detected in multiple epochs at both 3.6 and 4.5 $\mu$m, which we analysed for stellar variability using a joint probability error-weighted flux difference. Of these, 83 stars are identified as candidate large-amplitude, long-period variables, with 28 considered high-confidence variables. The majority of the variable stars are classified as asymptotic giant branch star candidates using colour-magnitude diagrams. We find no evidence supporting a younger, infrared-bright stellar population in our M32 field.

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O. Jones, C. Nally, M. Sharp, et. al.
Wed, 31 Mar 2021
12/62

Comments: 11 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS