The Ages and Masses of a Million Galactic-disk Main-sequence Turnoff and Subgiant Stars from the LAMOST Galactic Spectroscopic Surveys

Abstract

We present estimates of stellar age and mass for 0.93 million Galactic-disk main-sequence turnoff and subgiant stars from the LAMOST Galactic Spectroscopic Surveys. The ages and masses are determined by matching with stellar isochrones using a Bayesian algorithm, utilizing effective temperature {T}_{eff}, absolute magnitude {M}_V, metallicity [Fe/H], and α-element to iron abundance ratio [α/Fe] deduced from the LAMOST spectra. Extensive examinations suggest the age and mass estimates are robust. Overall, the sample stars have a median error of 34% for the age estimates, and half of the stars older than 2 Gyr have age uncertainties of only 20%-30%. The median error for the mass estimates of the whole sample of stars is ∼8%. The huge data set demonstrates good correlations among stellar age, [Fe/H] ([α/H]), and [α/Fe]. Particularly, double-sequence features are revealed in both the age-[α/Fe] and age-[Fe/H]([α/H]) spaces. In the [Fe/H]-[α/Fe] space, stars of 8-10 Gyr exhibit both the thin and thick disk sequences, while younger (older) stars show only the thin (thick) disk sequence, indicating that the thin disk became prominent 8-10 Gyr ago, while the thick disk formed earlier and was almost quenched 8 Gyr ago. Stellar ages exhibit positive vertical and negative radial gradients across the disk, and the outer disk of R ≳ 9 kpc exhibits a strong flare in stellar age distribution.