VARIABLE STARS AND STELLAR POPULATIONS IN ANDROMEDA XXI. II. ANOTHER MERGED GALAXY SATELLITE OF M31?

B and V time-series photometry of the M31 dwarf spheroidal satellite Andromeda XXI (And XXI) was obtained with the Large Binocular Cameras at the Large Binocular Telescope. We have identified 50 variables in And XXI, of which 41 are RR Lyrae stars (37 fundamental-mode-RRab, and 4 first-overtone-RRc, pulsators) and 9 are Anomalous Cepheids (ACs). The average period of the RRab stars (< P-ab > = 0.64 days) and the period-amplitude diagram place And XXI in the class of Oosterhoff II-Oosterhoff-Intermediate objects. From the average luminosity of the RR Lyrae stars we derived the galaxy distance modulus of (m -M)(0) = 24.40 +/- 0.17 mag, which is smaller than previous literature estimates, although still consistent with them within 1 sigma. The galaxy colormagnitude diagram shows evidence for the presence of three different stellar generations in And XXI: (1) an old (similar to 12 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -1.7 dex) component traced by the RR Lyrae stars; (2) a slightly younger (10-6 Gyr) and more metal-rich ([Fe/H] = -1.5 dex) component populating the red horizontal branch, and (3) an intermediate age (similar to 1 Gyr) component with the same metallicity that produced the ACs. Finally, we provide hints that And XXI could be the result of a minor merging event between two dwarf galaxies.