Old stellar subsystems in dwarf galaxies

Abstract

Based on archival Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC images, we have performed stellar photometry for eight dwarf galaxies of different types (Irr, S0, E) with a populated horizontal branch on their Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams. We have identified probable RR Lyr stars in these galaxies and constructed the distribution of their number density along the minor axes of the galaxies. For comparison, similar distributions have also been constructed for red giants in the same galaxies. In all cases, the size of the subsystem of RR Lyr stars exceeds that of the subsystem of, on average, younger stars, red giants. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis about expansion of the stellar subsystems in dwarf galaxies that we suggested previously.