Search

Accurate stellar parameters of stars in open clusters can help constrain models of stellar structure and evolution. Here we wish to determine the age and metallicity content of the open cluster NGC 2506. To this end we investigated three detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs; V2032, V4, and V5) for which we determined their masses and radii, as well as four red giant branch stars for which we determined their effective temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities. Three of the stars in the DEBs have masses close to the cluster turn-off mass, allowing for extremely precise age determination. Comparing the values for the masses and radii of the binaries to BaSTI isochrones we estimated a cluster age of $2.01 \pm 0.10$ Gyr. This does depend on the models used in the comparison, where we have found that the inclusion of convective core-overshooting is necessary to properly model the cluster. From red giant branch stars we determined values for the effective temperatures, the surface gravities, and the metallicities. From these we find a cluster metallicity of $-0.36 \pm 0.10$ dex. Using this value and the values for the effective temperatures we determine the reddening to be E$(b - y) = 0.057 \pm 0.004$ mag. Furthermore, we derived the distance to the cluster from Gaia parallaxes and found $3.101 \pm 0.017$ kpc, and we have performed a radial velocity membership determination for stars in the field of the cluster. Finally, we report on the detection of oscillation signals in $\gamma$ Dor and $\delta$ Scuti members in data from the TESS mission, including the possible detection of solar-like oscillations in two of the red giants., Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The low-metallicity, kinematically interesting dwarf stars studied by Stephens \& Boesgaard (2002, SB02) are re-examined using Gaia DR2 astrometry, and updated model atmospheres and atomic line data. New stellar parameters are determined based on the Gaia DR2 parallactic distances and Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Database isochrones. These are in excellent agreement with spectroscopically determined stellar parameters for stars with [Fe/H]$>-2$; however, large disagreements are found for stars with [Fe/H]$\le-2$, with offsets as large as $\Delta$T$_{\rm eff}\sim+500$ K and $\Delta$log\,$g\sim+1.0$. A subset of six stars (test cases) are analysed ab initio using high resolution spectra with Keck HIRES and Gemini GRACES. This sub-sample is found to include two $\alpha$-challenged dwarf stars, suggestive of origins in a low mass, accreted dwarf galaxy. The orbital parameters for the entire SB02 sample are re-determined using \textit{Gaia} DR2 data. We find 11 stars that are dynamically coincident with the \textit{Gaia}-Sausage accretion event and another 17 with the \textit{Gaia}-Sequoia event in action space. Both associations include low-mass, metal-poor stars with isochrone ages older than 10 Gyr. Two dynamical subsets are identified within \textit{Gaia}-Sequoia. When these subsets are examined separately, a common knee in [$\alpha$/Fe] is found for the \textit{Gaia}-Sausage and low orbital energy \textit{Gaia}-Sequoia stars. A lower metallicity knee is tentatively identified in the \textit{Gaia}-Sequoia high orbital energy stars. If the metal-poor dwarf stars in these samples are true members of the \textit{Gaia}-Sausage and \textit{Gaia}-Sequoia events, then they present a unique opportunity to probe the earlier, more pristine, star formation histories of these systems.

We combine asteroseismology, optical high-resolution spectroscopy, and kinematic analysis for 26 halo red giant branch stars in the \textit{Kepler} field in the range of $-2.52$), which constrains a relative age dispersion to $-1.7$ into two [{Mg}/{Fe}] groups. While [$\alpha$/{Fe}] and [{Eu}/{Mg}] ratios are different between the two subsamples, [$s$/Eu], where $s$ stands for Ba, La, Ce, and Nd, does not show a significant difference. These abundance ratios suggest that the chemical evolution of the low-Mg population is contributed by type~Ia supernovae, but not by low-to-intermediate mass asymptotic giant branch stars, providing a constraint on its star formation timescale as $100\,\mathrm{Myr}, Comment: 44 pages. accepted version

Observations of stellar chemical compositions enable us to identify connections between globular clusters and stellar populations in the Milky Way. In particular, chemical abundance ratios provide detailed insight into the chemical enrichment histories of star clusters and the field populations. For some elements, there are striking differences between field and cluster stars which reflect different nucleosynthetic processes and/or chemical evolution. The goal of this talk was to provide an overview of similarities and differences in chemical compositions between globular clusters and the Milky Way as well as highlighting a few areas for further examination.

We present chemical abundances for 21 elements (from Li to Eu) in 150 metal-poor Galactic stars spanning $-$4.1 $$ $-$3.5. Of the 20 objects for which we could measure nitrogen, 11 are nitrogen-enhanced metal-poor stars. Within our sample, the high NEMP fraction (55\% $\pm$ 21\%) is compatible with the upper range of predicted values (between 12\% and 35\%). The chemical abundance ratios [X/Fe] versus [Fe/H] exhibit similar trends to previous studies of metal-poor stars and Galactic chemical evolution models. We report the discovery of nine new r-I stars, four new r-II stars, one of which is the most metal-poor known, nine low-$\alpha$ stars with [$\alpha$/Fe] $\le$ 0.15 as well as one unusual star with [Zn/Fe] = +1.4 and [Sr/Fe] = +1.2 but with normal [Ba/Fe]. Finally, we combine our sample with literature data to provide the most extensive view of the early chemical enrichment of the Milky Way Galaxy., Comment: MNRAS in press (see source file for full versions of long tables)

Binary star systems are assumed to be co-natal and coeval, thus to have identical chemical composition. In this work we aim to test the hypothesis that there is a connection between observed element abundance patterns and the formation of planets using binary stars. Moreover, we also want to test how atomic diffusion might influence the observed abundance patterns. We conduct a strictly line-by-line differential chemical abundance analysis of 7 binary systems. Stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances are obtained with extremely high precision (< 3.5%) using the high quality spectra from VLT/UVES and Keck/HIRES. We find that 4 of 7 binary systems show subtle abundance differences (0.01 - 0.03 dex) without clear correlations with the condensation temperature, including two planet-hosting pairs. The other 3 binary systems exhibit similar degree of abundance differences correlating with the condensation temperature. We do not find any clear relation between the abundance differences and the occurrence of known planets in our systems. Instead, the overall abundance offsets observed in the binary systems (4 of 7) could be due to the effects of atomic diffusion. Although giant planet formation does not necessarily imprint chemical signatures onto the host star, the differences in the observed abundance trends with condensation temperature, on the other hand, are likely associated with diverse histories of planet formation (e.g., formation location). Furthermore, we find a weak correlation between abundance differences and binary separation, which may provide a new constraint on the formation of binary systems., 15 pages, 16 figures; accepted by MNRAS

Neutron-star mergers were recently confirmed as sites of rapid-neutron-capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis. However, in Galactic chemical evolution models, neutron-star mergers alone cannot reproduce the observed element abundance patterns of extremely metal-poor stars, which indicates the existence of other sites of r-process nucleosynthesis. These sites may be investigated by studying the element abundance patterns of chemically primitive stars in the halo of the Milky Way, because these objects retain the nucleosynthetic signatures of the earliest generation of stars. Here we report the element abundance pattern of the extremely metal-poor star SMSS J200322.54-114203.3. We observe a large enhancement in r-process elements, with very low overall metallicity. The element abundance pattern is well matched by the yields of a single 25-solar-mass magnetorotational hypernova. Such a hypernova could produce not only the r-process elements, but also light elements during stellar evolution, and iron-peak elements during explosive nuclear burning. Hypernovae are often associated with long-duration gamma-ray bursts in the nearby Universe. This connection indicates that similar explosions of fast-spinning strongly magnetized stars occurred during the earliest epochs of star formation in our Galaxy., Comment: Author's version of a Letter published in Nature on July 8th, 2021

We present a line-by-line differential analysis of a sample of 16 planet hosting stars and 68 comparison stars using high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra gathered using Keck. We obtained accurate stellar parameters and high-precision relative chemical abundances with average uncertainties in \teff, \logg, [Fe/H] and [X/H] of 15 K, 0.034 [cgs], 0.012 dex and 0.025 dex, respectively. For each planet host, we identify a set of comparison stars and examine the abundance differences (corrected for Galactic chemical evolution effect) as a function of the dust condensation temperature, \tcond, of the individual elements. While we confirm that the Sun exhibits a negative trend between abundance and \tcond, we also confirm that the remaining planet hosts exhibit a variety of abundance $-$ \tcond\ trends with no clear dependence upon age, metallicity or \teff. The diversity in the chemical compositions of planet hosting stars relative to their comparison stars could reflect the range of possible planet-induced effects present in these planet hosts, from the sequestration of rocky material (refractory poor), to the possible ingestion of planets (refractory rich). Other possible explanations include differences in the timescale, efficiency and degree of planet formation or inhomogeneous chemical evolution. Although we do not find an unambiguous chemical signature of planet formation among our sample, the high-precision chemical abundances of the host stars are essential for constraining the composition and structure of their exoplanets., Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The origin of multiple stellar populations in Globular Clusters (GCs) is one of the greatest mysteries of modern stellar astrophysics. N-body simulations suggest that the present-day dynamics of GC stars can constrain the events that occurred at high redshift and led to the formation of multiple populations. Here, we combine multi-band photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based facilities with HST and Gaia Data Release 2 proper motions to investigate the spatial distributions and the motions in the plane of the sky of multiple populations in the type II GCs NGC 5139 ($\omega\,$Centauri) and NGC 6656 (M 22). We first analyzed stellar populations with different metallicities. Fe-poor and Fe-rich stars in M 22 share similar spatial distributions and rotation patterns and exhibit similar isotropic motions. Similarly, the two main populations with different iron abundance in $\omega\,$Centauri share similar ellipticities and rotation patterns. When analyzing different radial regions, we find that the rotation amplitude decreases from the center towards the external regions. Fe-poor and Fe-rich stars of $\omega\,$Centauri are radially anisotropic in the central region and show similar degrees of anisotropy. We also investigate the stellar populations with different light-element abundances and find that their N-rich stars exhibit higher ellipticity than N-poor stars. In $\omega\,$Centauri Centauri both stellar groups are radially anisotropic. Interestingly, N-rich, Fe-rich stars exhibit different rotation patterns than N-poor stars with similar metallicities. The stellar populations with different nitrogen of M 22 exhibit similar rotation patterns and isotropic motions. We discuss these findings in the context of the formation of multiple populations., Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

We present a detailed study of stellar rotation in the massive 1.5 Gyr old cluster NGC 1846 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Similar to other clusters at this age, NGC 1846 shows an extended main sequence turn-off (eMSTO), and previous photometric studies have suggested it could be bimodal. In this study, we use MUSE integral-field spectroscopy to measure the projected rotational velocities (vsini) of around 1400 stars across the eMSTO and along the upper main sequence of NGC 1846. We measure vsini values up to ~250 km/s and find a clear relation between the vsini of a star and its location across the eMSTO. Closer inspection of the distribution of rotation rates reveals evidence for a bimodal distribution, with the fast rotators centred around vsini = 140 km/s and the slow rotators centred around vsini = 60 km/s. We further observe a lack of fast rotating stars along the photometric binary sequence of NGC 1846, confirming results from the field that suggest that tidal interactions in binary systems can spin down stars. However, we do not detect a significant difference in the binary fractions of the fast and slowly rotating sub-populations. Finally, we report on the serendipitous discovery of a planetary nebula associated with NGC 1846., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 15 pages, 10 figures

We present new fluorine abundance estimations in two carbon enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, HE 1429-0551 and HE 1305+0007. HE 1429-0551 is also enriched in slow neutron-capture process (s-process) elements, a CEMP-s, and HE 1305+0007 is enhanced in both, slow and rapid neutron-capture process elements, a CEMP-s/r. The F abundances estimates are derived from the vibration-rotation transition of the HF molecule at 23358.6 A using high-resolution infrared spectra obtained with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) at the 4m-class Lowell Discovery Telescope. Our results include a F abundance measurement in HE 1429-0551 of A(F) = +3.93 ([F/Fe] = +1.90) at [Fe/H] = -2.53, and a F upper limit in HE 1305+0007 of A(F) < +3.28 ([F/Fe] < +1.00) at [Fe/H] = -2.28. Our new derived F abundance in HE 1429-0551 makes this object the most metal-poor star where F has been detected. We carefully compare these results with literature values and state-of-the-art CEMP-s model predictions including detailed AGB nucleosynthesis and binary evolution. The modelled fluorine abundance for HE 1429-0551 is within reasonable agreement with our observed abundance, although is slightly higher than our observed value. For HE 1429-0551, our findings support the scenario via mass transfer by a primary companion during its thermally-pulsing phase. Our estimated upper limit in HE 1305+0007, along with data from the literature, shows large discrepancies compared with AGB models. The discrepancy is principally due to the simultaneous s- and r-process element enhancements which the model struggles to reproduce., 12 pages, 5 Figures -- Accepted in MNRAS

We present the characterization of CRTS J055255.7$-$004426 (=THOR 42), a young eclipsing binary comprising two pre-main sequence M dwarfs (combined spectral type M3.5). This nearby (103 pc), short-period (0.859 d) system was recently proposed as a member of the $\sim$24 Myr-old 32 Orionis Moving Group. Using ground- and space-based photometry in combination with medium- and high-resolution spectroscopy, we model the light and radial velocity curves to derive precise system parameters. The resulting component masses and radii are $0.497\pm0.005$ and $0.205\pm0.002$ $\rm{M}_{\odot}$, and $0.659\pm0.003$ and $0.424\pm0.002$ $\rm{R}_{\odot}$, respectively. With mass and radius uncertainties of $\sim$1 per cent and $\sim$0.5 per cent, respectively, THOR 42 is one of the most precisely characterized pre-main sequence eclipsing binaries known. Its systemic velocity, parallax, proper motion, colour-magnitude diagram placement and enlarged radii are all consistent with membership in the 32 Ori Group. The system provides a unique opportunity to test pre-main sequence evolutionary models at an age and mass range not well constrained by observation. From the radius and mass measurements we derive ages of 22-26 Myr using standard (non-magnetic) models, in excellent agreement with the age of the group. However, none of the models can simultaneously reproduce the observed mass, radius, temperature and luminosity of the coeval components. In particular, their H-R diagram ages are 2-4 times younger and we infer masses $\sim$50 per cent smaller than the dynamical values., Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 22 pages. Tables 4 and 5 are available in full as ancillary files

Context. The benchmark open cluster M67 is known to have solar metallicity and similar age as the Sun. It thus provides us a great opportunity to study the properties of solar twins, as well as the evolution of Sun-like stars. Aims. Previous spectroscopic studies reported to detect possible subtle changes in stellar surface abundances throughout the stellar evolutionary phase, namely the effect of atomic diffusion, in M67. In this study we attempt to confirm and quantify more precisely the effect of atomic diffusion, as well as to explore the level of chemical (in)homogeneity in M67. Methods. We presented a strictly line-by-line differential chemical abundance analysis of two groups of stars in M67: three turn-off stars and three sub-giants. Stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances were obtained with very high precision using the Keck/HIRES spectra. Results. The sub-giants in our sample show negligible abundance variations ($\le$ 0.02 dex), which implies that M67 was born chemically homogeneous. We note there is a significant abundance difference ($\sim$ 0.1 - 0.2 dex) between sub-giants and turn-off stars, which can be interpreted as the signature of atomic diffusion. Qualitatively stellar models with diffusion agree with the observed abundance results. Some turn-off stars do not follow the general pattern, which suggests that in some cases diffusion can be inhibited, or they might suffered some sort of mixing event related to planets. Conclusions. Our results pose additional challenges for chemical tagging when using turn-off stars. In particular, the effects of atomic diffusion, which could be as large as 0.1 - 0.2 dex, must be taken into account in order for chemical tagging to be successfully applied., 19 pages, 21 figures; submitted to A&A on February, 2019, accepted for publication in A&A on June, 2019

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV Legacy Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters (GCs) has investigated multiple stellar populations by means of the "chromosome map" (ChM) diagnostic tool that maximises the separation between stars with different chemical composition. One of the most challenging features revealed by ChMs analysis is the apparent inhomogeneity among stars belonging to the first population, a phenomenon largely attributed to He variations. However, this explanation is not supported by the uniformity in p-capture elements of these stars. The HST survey has revealed that the GC NGC 3201 shows an exceptionally wide coverage in the Delta(F275W,F814W) parameter of the ChM. We present a chemical abundance analysis of 24 elements in 18 giants belonging to the first population of this GC, and having a wide range in Delta(F275W,F814W). As far as the p-capture elements are concerned, the chemical abundances are typical of 1G stars, as expected from the location of our targets in the ChM. Based on radial velocities and chemical abundances arguments, we find that the three stars with the lowest Delta(F275W,F814W) values are binary candidates. This suggests that, at least those stars could be explained with binarity. These results are consistent with evidence inferred from multi-band photometry that evolved blue stragglers populate the bluest part of the 1G sequence in the ChM. The remaining 15 spectroscopic targets show a small range in the overall metallicity by ~0.10 dex, with stars at higher Delta(F275W,F814W) values having higher absolute abundances. We suggest that a small variation in metals and binarity govern the color spread of the 1G in the ChM, and that evolved blue stragglers contribute to the bluest tail of the 1G sequence., 24 pages, 12 figures, 8 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ

The first stars are predicted to have formed within 200 million years after the Big Bang, initiating the cosmic dawn. A true first star has not yet been discovered, although stars with tiny amounts of elements heavier than helium ('metals') have been found in the outer regions ('halo') of the Milky Way. The first stars and their immediate successors should, however, preferentially be found today in the central regions ('bulges') of galaxies, because they formed in the largest over-densities that grew gravitationally with time. The Milky Way bulge underwent a rapid chemical enrichment during the first 1-2 billion years, leading to a dearth of early, metal-poor stars. Here we report observations of extremely metal-poor stars in the Milky Way bulge, including one star with an iron abundance about 10,000 times lower than the solar value without noticeable carbon enhancement. We confirm that the most metal-poor bulge stars are on tight orbits around the Galactic Centre, rather than being halo stars passing through the bulge, as expected for stars formed at redshifts greater than 15. Their chemical compositions are in general similar to typical halo stars of the same metallicity although intriguing differences exist, including lower abundances of carbon., Published in Nature on 11/11/15, see http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature15747

We report the discovery and characterization of an eclipsing M5V dwarf star, orbiting a slightly evolved F7V main sequence star. In contrast to previous claims in the literature, we confirm that the system does not belong to the galactic open cluster Ruprecht 147. We determine its fundamental parameters combining K2 time-series data with spectroscopic observations from the McDonald Observatory, FIES@NOT, and HIRES@KECK. The very precise photometric data from the K2 mission allows us to measure variations caused by the beaming effect (relativistic doppler boosting), ellipsoidal variation, reflection, and the secondary eclipse. We determined the radial velocity using spectroscopic observations and compare it to the radial velocity determined from the beaming effect observed in the photometric data. The M5V star has a radius of $0.200 \substack{+0.007 \\ -0.008}$ $R_{\odot}$ and a mass of $0.187 \substack{+0.012 \\ -0.013}$ $M_{\odot}$. The primary star has radius of $1.518 \substack{+0.038 \\ -0.049}$ $R_{\odot}$ and a mass of $1.008 \substack{+0.081 \\ -0.097}$ $M_{\odot}$. The orbital period is $ 5.441995 \pm 0.000007$ days. The system is one of the few eclipsing systems with observed beaming effect and spectroscopic radial velocity measurements and it can be used as test case for the modelling of the beaming effect. Current and forthcoming space missions such as TESS and PLATO might benefit of the analysis of the beaming effect to estimate the mass of transiting companions without the need for radial velocity follow up observations, provided that the systematic sources of noise affecting this method are well understood., Comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty2155 8 pages

We present a high resolution spectroscopic analysis of 62 red giants in the Milky Way globular cluster NGC5286. We have determined abundances of representative light proton-capture, alpha, Fe-peak and neutron-capture element groups, and combined them with photometry of multiple sequences observed along the colour-magnitude diagram. Our principal results are: (i) a broad, bimodal distribution in s-process element abundance ratios, with two main groups, the s-poor and s-rich groups; (ii) substantial star-to-star Fe variations, with the s-rich stars having higher Fe, e.g. _s-rich - _s-poor ~ 0.2~dex; and (iii) the presence of O-Na-Al (anti-)correlations in both stellar groups. We have defined a new photometric index, c_{BVI}=(B-V)-(V-I), to maximise the separation in the colour-magnitude diagram between the two stellar groups with different Fe and s-element content, and this index is not significantly affected by variations in light elements (such as the O-Na anticorrelation). The variations in the overall metallicity present in NGC5286 add this object to the class of "anomalous" GCs. Furthermore, the chemical abundance pattern of NGC5286 resembles that observed in some of the anomalous GCs, e.g. M22, NGC1851, M2, and the more extreme Omega Centauri, that also show internal variations in s-elements, and in light elements within stars with different Fe and s-elements content. In view of the common variations in s-elements, we propose the term s-Fe-anomalous GCs to describe this sub-class of objects. The similarities in chemical abundance ratios between these objects strongly suggest similar formation and evolution histories, possibly associated with an origin in tidally disrupted dwarf satellites., Comment: 28 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present high-precision multi-band photometry for the globular cluster (GC) M2. We combine the analysis of the photometric data obtained from the Hubble Space Telescope UV Legacy Survey of Galactic GCs GO-13297, with chemical abundances by Yong et al.(2014), and compare the photometry with models in order to analyze the multiple stellar sequences we identified in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). We find three main stellar components, composed of metal-poor, metal-intermediate, and metal-rich stars (hereafter referred to as population A, B, and C, respectively). The components A and B include stars with different $s$-process element abundances. They host six sub-populations with different light-element abundances, and exhibit an internal variation in helium up to Delta Y~0.07 dex. In contrast with M22, another cluster characterized by the presence of populations with different metallicities, M2 contains a third stellar component, C, which shows neither evidence for sub-populations nor an internal spread in light-elements. Population C does not exhibit the typical photometric signatures that are associated with abundance variations of light elements produced by hydrogen burning at hot temperatures. We compare M2 with other GCs with intrinsic heavy-element variations and conclude that M2 resembles M22, but it includes an additional stellar component that makes it more similar to the central region of the Sagittarius galaxy, which hosts a GC (M54) and the nucleus of the Sagittarius galaxy itself., 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

A recent study reported a strong apparent depression of Fe I, relative to Fe II, in the AGB stars of NGC 6752. This depression is much greater than that expected from the neglect of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effects, in particular the dominant effect of overionisation. Here we attempt to reproduce the apparent Fe discrepancy, and investigate differences in reported sodium abundances. We compare in detail the methods and results of the recent study with those of an earlier study of NGC 6752 AGB stars. Iron and sodium abundances are derived using Fe I, Fe II, and Na I lines. Various uncertainties are explored. We reproduce the large Fe I depression found by the recent study, using different observational data and computational tools. Further investigation shows that the degree of the apparent Fe I depression is strongly dependent on the adopted stellar effective temperature. To minimise uncertainties in Fe I we derive temperatures for each star individually using the infrared flux method (IRFM). We find that the $T_{\rm{eff}}$ scales used by both the previous studies are cooler, by up to 100 K; such underestimated temperatures amplify the apparent Fe I depression. Our IRFM temperatures result in negligible apparent depression, consistent with theory. We also re-derived sodium abundances and, remarkably, found them to be unaffected by the new temperature scale. [Na/H] in the AGB stars is consistent between all studies. Since Fe is constant, it follows that [Na/Fe] is also consistent between studies, apart from any systematic offsets in Fe. We recommend the use of $(V-K)$ relations for AGB stars. We plan to investigate the effect of the improved temperature scale on other elements, and re-evaluate the subpopulation distributions on the AGB, in the next paper of this series. [abridged], Accepted for publication in A&A

We determine relative abundance ratios for the neutron-capture elements Zr, La, Ce, Nd, and Eu for a sample of 27 Galactic dwarf stars with -1.5 < [Fe/H], Comment: MNRAS in press

We use high-precision photometry of red-giant-branch (RGB) stars in 57 Galactic globular clusters (GCs), mostly from the `Hubble Space Telescope (HST) UV Legacy Survey of Galactic globular clusters', to identify and characterize their multiple stellar populations. For each cluster the pseudo two-color diagram (or `chromosome map') is presented, built with a suitable combination of stellar magnitudes in the F275W, F336W, F438W and F814W filters that maximizes the separation between multiple populations. In the chromosome map of most GCs (Type I clusters), stars separate in two distinct groups that we identify with the first (1G) and the second generation (2G). This identification is further supported by noticing that 1G stars have primordial (oxygen-rich, sodium-poor) chemical composition, whereas 2G stars are enhanced in sodium and depleted in oxygen. This 1G-2G separation is not possible for a few GCs where the two sequences have apparently merged into an extended, continuous sequence. In some GCs (Type II clusters) the 1G and/or the 2G sequences appear to be split, hence displaying more complex chromosome maps. These clusters exhibit multiple SGBs also in purely optical color-magnitude diagrams, with the fainter SGB joining into a red RGB which is populated by stars with enhanced heavy-element abundance. We measure the RGB width by using appropriate colors and pseudo-colors. When the metallicity dependence is removed, the RGB width correlates with the cluster mass. The fraction of 1G stars ranges from ~8% to ~67% and anticorrelates with the cluster mass, indicating that incidence and complexity of the multiple population phenomenon both increase with cluster mass., Comment: 21 pages, 24 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We investigate the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy using data of Stetson et al. (2011) and synthetic CMDs based on isochrones of Dotter et al. (2008), in terms of the parameters [Fe/H], age, and [alpha/Fe], for the cases when (i) [alpha/Fe] is held constant and (ii) [alpha/Fe] is varied. The data are well described by four basic epochs of star formation, having [Fe/H] = -1.85, -1.5, -1.2, and ~-1.15 and ages ~13, 7, ~3.5, and ~1.5 Gyr, respectively (for [alpha/Fe] = 0.1 (constant [alpha/Fe]) and [alpha/Fe] = 0.2, 0.1, -0.2, -0.2 (variable [alpha/Fe])), with small spreads in [Fe/H] and age of order 0.1 dex and 1 - 3 Gyr. Within an elliptical radius 13.1 arcmin, the mass fractions of the populations, at their times of formation, were (in decreasing age order) 0.34, 0.39, 0.23, and 0.04. This formalism reproduces five observed CMD features (two distinct subgiant branches of old and intermediate-age populations, two younger, main-sequence components, and the small color dispersion on the red giant branch (RGB)). The parameters of the youngest population are less certain than those of the others, and given it is less centrally concentrated it may not be directly related to them. High-resolution spectroscopically analyzed RGB samples appear statistically incomplete compared with those selected using radial velocity, which contain bluer stars comprising ~5 - 10% of the samples. We conjecture these objects may, at least in part, be members of the youngest population. We use the CMD simulations to obtain insight into the population structure of Carina's upper RGB., Comment: Accepted by ApJS

We present a detailed analysis of high-resolution, high S/N spectra for 5 Aquarius stream stars observed with the MIKE spectrograph on the Magellan Clay telescope. Our sample represents one third of the 15 known members in the stream. We find the stream is not mono-metallic: the metallicity ranges from [Fe/H] = -0.63 to -1.58. No anti-correlation in Na-O abundances is present, and we find a strong positive Mg-Al relationship, similar to that observed in the thick disk. We find no evidence that the stream is a result of a disrupted classical globular cluster, contrary to a previously published claim. High [(Na, Ni, alpha)/Fe] and low [Ba/Y] abundance ratios in the stream suggests it is not a tidal tail from a disrupted dwarf galaxy, either. The stream is chemically indistinguishable from Milky Way field stars with the exception of one candidate, C222531-145437. From its position, velocity, and detailed chemical abundances, C222531-145437 is likely a star that was tidally disrupted from omega-Centauri. We propose the Aquarius stream is Galactic in origin, and could be the result from a disk-satellite perturbation in the Milky Way thick disk on the order of a few Gyr ago: derived orbits, UVW velocities, and angular momenta of the Aquarius members offer qualitative support for our hypothesis. Assuming C222531-145437 is a tidally disrupted member of omega-Centauri, this system is the most likely disk perturber. In the absence of compelling chemical and/or dynamical evidence that the Aquarius stream is the tidal tail of a disrupted satellite, we advocate the "Aquarius group" as a more appropriate description. Like the Canis Major over-density, as well as the Hercules and Monoceros groups, the Aquarius group joins the list of kinematically-identified substructures that are not actually accreted material: they are simply part of the rich complexity of the Milky Way structure., Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. Updated to journal version

We present CN and CH indices and CaII triplet metallicities for 34 giant stars and chemical abundances for 33 elements in 14 giants in the globular cluster M2. Assuming the program stars are cluster members, our analysis reveals (i) an extreme variation in CN and CH line strengths, (ii) a metallicity dispersion with a dominant peak at [Fe/H] = -1.7 and smaller peaks at -1.5 and -1.0, (iii) star-to-star abundance variations and correlations for the light elements O, Na, Al and Si and (iv) a large (and possibly bimodal) distribution in the abundances of all elements produced mainly via the s-process in solar system material. Following Roederer et al. (2011), we define two groups of stars, "r+s" and "r-only", and subtract the average abundances of the latter from the former group to obtain a "s-process residual". This s-process residual is remarkably similar to that found in M22 and in M4 despite the range in metallicity covered by these three systems. With recent studies identifying a double subgiant branch in M2 and a dispersion in Sr and Ba abundances, our spectroscopic analysis confirms that this globular cluster has experienced a complex formation history with similarities to M22, NGC 1851 and omega Centauri., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The six planets of the Kepler-11 system are the archetypal example of a population of surprisingly low-density transiting planets revealed by the Kepler mission. We have determined the fundamental parameters and chemical composition of the Kepler-11 host star to unprecedented precision using an extremely high quality spectrum from Keck-HIRES (R$\simeq$67,000, S/N per pixel$\simeq$260 at 600 nm). Contrary to previously published results, our spectroscopic constraints indicate that Kepler-11 is a young main-sequence solar twin. The revised stellar parameters and new analysis raise the densities of the Kepler-11 planets by between 20-95% per planet, making them more typical of the emerging class of "puffy" close-in exoplanets. We obtain photospheric abundances of 22 elements and find that Kepler-11 has an abundance pattern similar to that of the Sun with a slightly higher overall metallicity. We additionally analyze the Kepler lightcurves using a photodynamical model and discuss the tension between spectroscopic and transit/TTV-based stellar density estimates., 15 pages, 7 figures; ApJ accepted version

We present the metallicity results from the ARGOS spectroscopic survey of the Galactic bulge. Our aim is to understand the formation of the Galactic bulge: did it form via mergers, as expected from Lambda CDM theory, or from disk instabilities, as suggested by its boxy/peanut shape, or both? We have obtained spectra for 28,000 stars at a spectral resolution of R = 11,000. From these spectra, we have determined stellar parameters and distances to an accuracy of < 1.5 kpc. The stars in the inner Galaxy span a large range in [Fe/H], -2.8 < [Fe/H] < +0.6. From the spatial distribution of the red clump stars as a function of [Fe/H] (Ness et al. 2012a), we propose that the stars with [Fe/H] > -0.5 are part of the boxy/peanut bar/bulge. We associate the lower metallicity stars ([Fe/H] < -0.5) with the thick disk, which may be puffed up in the inner region, and with the inner regions of the metal-weak thick disk and inner halo. For the bulge stars with [Fe/H] > -0.5, we find two discrete populations; (i) stars with [Fe/H] ~ -0.25 which provide a roughly constant fraction of the stars in the latitude interval b = -5 deg to -10 deg, and (ii) a kinematically colder, more metal-rich population with mean [Fe/H] ~ +0.15 which is more prominent closer to the plane. The changing ratio of these components with latitude appears as a vertical abundance gradient of the bulge. We attribute both of these bulge components to instability-driven bar/bulge formation from the thin disk. We do not exclude a weak underlying classical merger-generated bulge component, but see no obvious kinematic association of any of our bulge stars with such a classical bulge component. [abridged], Accepted MNRAS, 21 pages, 20 figures, 6 tables

Stars in open clusters are expected to share an identical abundance pattern. Establishing the level of chemical homogeneity in a given open cluster deserves further study as it is the basis of the concept of chemical tagging to unravel the history of the Milky Way. M67 is particularly interesting given its solar metallicity and age as well as being a dense cluster environment. We conducted a strictly line-by-line differential chemical abundance analysis of two solar twins in M67: M67-1194 and M67-1315. Stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances were obtained with high precision using Keck/HIRES spectra. M67-1194 is essentially identical to the Sun in terms of its stellar parameters. M67-1315 is warmer than M67-1194 by ~ 150 K as well as slightly more metal-poor than M67-1194 by ~ 0.05 dex. M67-1194 is also found to have identical chemical composition to the Sun, confirming its solar twin nature. The abundance ratios [X/Fe] of M67-1315 are similar to the solar abundances for elements with atomic number Z, 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Cosmological models predict the oldest stars in the Galaxy should be found closest to the centre of the potential well, in the bulge. The EMBLA Survey successfully searched for these old, metal-poor stars by making use of the distinctive SkyMapper photometric filters to discover candidate metal-poor stars in the bulge. Their metal-poor nature was then confirmed using the AAOmega spectrograph on the AAT. Here we present an abundance analysis of 10 bulge stars with -2.8, Comment: 20 pages, 16 figures. Accepted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Online tables can be found at http://www.astro.lu.se/~louise/data

Context: The chemical composition of stars is intimately linked to the Galaxy formation and evolution. Aims: We aim to trace the chemical evolution of the Galactic disk through the inspection of the [X/Fe]-age relations of 24 species from C to Eu. Methods: Using high-resolution and high-signal-to-noise UVES spectra of nine solar twins, we obtained precise estimates of stellar ages and chemical abundances. These determinations have been integrated with additional accurate age and abundance determinations from recent spectroscopic studies of solar twins existing in the literature, comprising superb abundances with 0.01~dex precision. Based on this data set, we outlined the [X/Fe]-age relations over a time interval of 10~Gyr. Results: We present the [X/Fe] - age relations for 24 elements (C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, and Eu). Each different class of elements showed distinct evolution with time that relies on the different characteristics, rates and timescales of the nucleosynthesis' sites from which they are produced. The $\alpha$-elements are characterised by a [X/Fe] decrement as time goes on. Strikingly, an opposite behaviour is observed for Ca. The iron-peak elements show an early [X/Fe] increase followed by a decrease towards the youngest stars. The [X/Fe] for the n-capture elements decrease with age. We also found that both [Mg/Y] and [Al/Y] are precise stellar clocks, with [Al/Y] showing the steepest dependence with age. Conslusions: Knowledge of the [X/Fe]-age relations is a gold mine from which we can achieve a great understanding about the processes that governed the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. Through the reverse engineering of these relations we will be able to put strong constraints on the nature of the stellar formation history, the SNe rates, the stellar yields, and the variety of the SNe progenitors., Comment: The paper has been accepted for publication by A&A

We present a high-precision differential abundance analysis of 16 solar-type stars in the Hyades open cluster based on high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ~ 350 - 400) spectra obtained from the McDonald 2.7m telescope. We derived stellar parameters and differential chemical abundances for 19 elements (C, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Ba) with uncertainties as low as ~ 0.01 - 0.02 dex. Our main results include: (1) there is no clear chemical signature of planet formation detected among the sample stars, i.e., no correlations in abundances versus condensation temperature; (2) the observed abundance dispersions are a factor of ~ 1.5 - 2 larger than the average measurement errors for most elements; (3) there are positive correlations, of high statistical significance, between the abundances of at least 90% of pairs of elements. We demonstrate that none of these findings can be explained by errors due to the stellar parameters. Our results reveal that the Hyades is chemically inhomogeneous at the 0.02 dex level. Possible explanations for the abundance variations include (1) inhomogeneous chemical evolution in the proto-cluster environment, (2) supernova ejection in the proto-cluster cloud, and (3) pollution of metal-poor gas before complete mixing of the proto-cluster cloud. Our results provide significant new constraints on the chemical composition of open clusters and a challenge to the current view of Galactic archeology., 17 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Recent studies of the Milky Way and its satellites have paid special attention to the importance of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars due to their involvement in Galactic formation history and their possible connection with the chemical elements originating in the first stellar generation. In an ongoing study of red giants in the Sculptor dwarf galaxy we have discovered a star with extremely strong CN and CH molecular bands. This star, Scl-1013644, has previously been identified by Geisler et al. (2005) as a star with an enrichment in the heavy elements. Spectrum synthesis has been used to derive the carbon, nitrogen and barium abundances for Scl-1013644. Our findings are [C/Fe] = +0.8, [N/Fe] = -0.3 and [Ba/Fe] = +2.1 with the latter result consistent with the value found by Geisler et al. (2005). These results reveal Scl-1013644 as a CEMP-s star, the third such star discovered in this dwarf galaxy., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables

We present metallicities for red giant stars in the globular cluster NGC 6273 based on intermediate resolution GMOS-S spectra of the calcium triplet region. For the 42 radial velocity members with reliable calcium triplet line strength measurements, we obtain metallicities, [Fe/H], using calibrations established from standard globular clusters. We confirm the presence of an intrinsic abundance dispersion identified by Johnson et al. (2015). The total range in [Fe/H] is ~1.0 dex and after taking into account the measurement errors, the intrinsic abundance dispersion is \sigma[Fe/H] = 0.17 dex. Among the Galactic globular clusters, the abundance dispersion in NGC 6273 is only exceeded by omega Cen, which is regarded as the remnant of a disrupted dwarf galaxy, and M 54, which is the nuclear star cluster of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. If these three globular clusters share the same formation mechanism, then NGC 6273 may also be the remnant nucleus of a disrupted dwarf galaxy., Comment: MNRAS in press

The phenomenon of multiple populations in globular clusters is still far from understood, with several proposed mechanisms to explain the observed behaviour. The study of elemental and isotopic abundance patterns are crucial for investigating the differences among candidate pollution mechanisms. We derive magnesium isotopic ratios for 13 stars in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae (NGC 104) to provide new, detailed information about the nucleosynthesis that has occurred within the cluster. For the first time, the impact of 3D model stellar atmospheres on the derived Mg isotopic ratios is investigated. Using both tailored 1D atmospheric models and 3D hydrodynamical models, we derive magnesium isotopic ratios from four features of MgH near 5135{\AA} in 13 giants near the tip of the RGB, using high signal-to-noise, high-resolution spectra. We derive the magnesium isotopic ratios for all stars and find no significant offset of the isotopic distribution between the pristine and the polluted populations. Furthermore, we do not detect any statistically significant differences in the spread in the Mg isotopes in either population. No trends were found between the Mg isotopes and [Al/Fe]. The inclusion of 3D atmospheres has a significant impact on the derived 25Mg/24Mg ratio, increasing it by a factor of up to 2.5, compared to 1D. The 26Mg/24Mg ratio, on the other hand, essentially remains unchanged. We confirm the results seen from other globular clusters, where no strong variation in the isotopic ratios is observed between stellar populations, for observed ranges in [Al/Fe]. We see no evidence for any significant activation of the Mg-Al burning chain. The use of 3D atmospheres causes an increase of a factor of up to 2.5 in the fraction of 25Mg, resolving part of the discrepancy between the observed isotopic fraction and the predictions from pollution models., Comment: 22 pages, 22 figures, Accepted for A&A

We propose that the observed stellar halo around the globular cluster (GC) NGC 1851 is evidence for its formation in the central region of its defunct host dwarf galaxy. We numerically investigate the long-term dynamical evolution of a nucleated dwarf galaxy embedded in a massive dark matter halo under the strong tidal field of the Galaxy. The dwarf galaxy is assumed to have a stellar nucleus (or a nuclear star cluster) that could be the progenitor for NGC 1851. We find that although the dark matter halo and the stellar envelope of the host dwarf of NGC 1851 can be almost completely stripped during its orbital evolution around the Galaxy, a minor fraction of stars in the dwarf can remain trapped by the gravitational field of the nucleus. The stripped nucleus can be observed as NGC 1851 with no/little dark matter whereas stars around the nucleus can be observed as a diffuse stellar halo around NGC 1851. The simulated stellar halo has a symmetric distribution with a power-law density slope of ~ -2 and shows no tidal tails within ~200pc from NGC 1851. We show that two GCs can merge with each other to form a new nuclear GC embedded in field stars owing to the low stellar velocity dispersion of the host dwarf. This result makes no assumption on the ages and/or chemical abundances of the two merging GCs. Thus the observed stellar halo and characteristic multiple stellar populations in NGC 1851 suggest that NGC 1851 could have formed initially in the central region of an ancient dwarf galaxy.

We report the analysis of high-resolution, high-S/N spectra of an extremely metal-poor, extremely C-rich red giant, Seg 1-7, in the Segue 1 system - described in the literature alternatively as an unusually extended globular cluster or an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. The radial velocity of Seg 1-7 coincides precisely with the systemic velocity of Segue 1, and its chemical abundance signature of [Fe/H] = -3.52, [C/Fe] = +2.3, [N/Fe] = +0.8, [Na/Fe] = +0.53, [Mg/Fe] = +0.94, [Al/Fe] = +0.23 and [Ba/Fe] < -1.0 is similar to that of the rare and enigmatic class of Galactic halo objects designated CEMP-no (Carbon-rich, Extremely Metal-Poor and with no enhancement (over solar ratios) of heavy neutron-capture elements). This is the first star in a Milky Way ``satellite'' that unambiguously lies on the metal-poor, C-rich branch of the Aoki et al. (2007) bimodal distribution defined by field halo stars in the ([C/Fe], [Fe/H])-plane. Available data permit us only to identify Seg 1-7 as a member of an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy or as debris from the Sgr dwarf spheroidal galaxy. In either case, this demonstrates that at extremely low abundance, [Fe/H ] < -3.0, star formation and associated chemical evolution proceeded similarly in the progenitors of both the field halo and satellite systems. By extension, this is consistent with other recent suggestions the most metal-poor dwarf spheroidal and ultra-faint dwarf satellites were the building blocks of the Milky Way's outer halo., 18 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letters

We report chemical abundances of 14 young $\alpha$-rich stars including neutron-capture elements based on high-quality optical spectra from HIRES/Keck I and differential line-by-line analysis. From the comparison of the abundance patterns of young $\alpha$-rich stars to those of nearby bright red giants with a similar metallicity range ($-0.7, Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

Differences in the elemental abundances of planet hosting stars in binary systems can give important clues and constraints about planet formation and evolution. In this study we performed a high-precision, differential elemental abundance analysis of a wide binary system, HD 80606/80607, based on high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio Keck/HIRES spectra. HD 80606 is known to host a four Jupiter mass giant planet while no planet has yet been detected around HD 80607. We determined stellar parameters as well as abundances for 23 elements for these two stars with extremely high precision. Our main results are: (i) we confirmed that the two components share very similar chemical compositions, but HD 80606 is marginally more metal-rich than HD 80607 with an average difference of +0.013 $\pm$ 0.002 dex ($\sigma$ = 0.009 dex) and (ii) there is no obvious trend between abundance differences and condensation temperature. Assuming this binary formed from material with the same chemical composition, it is difficult to understand how giant planet formation could produce the present-day photospheric abundances of the elements we measure. We can not exclude the possibility that HD 80606 might have accreted about 2.5 to 5 $M_{\rm Earth}$ material onto its surface, possibly from a planet destabilised by the known highly-eccentric giant., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figues, accepted for publication in A&A

We present high-resolution, high-S/N spectra of an extremely metal- poor giant star Boo-1137 in the "ultra-faint" dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) Bootes I (absolute magnitude Mv ~ -6.3). With [Fe/H] = -3.7, this the most metal-poor star yet identified in an ultra-faint dSph. Comparison of relative abundances, [X/Fe], for some 15 elements with those of the extremely metal-poor giants of the Galactic halo shows Boo-1137 is "normal" with respect to C and N, the odd-Z elements Na and Al, the Fe-peak elements, and the n-capture elements Sr and Ba, in comparison with the bulk of the halo with [Fe/H] < -3.0. The alpha- elements Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti are all higher by Delta[X/Fe] ~ 0.2 than average halo values. Monte-Carlo analysis indicates Delta[alpha/Fe] values this large are expected with probability ~ 0.02. The abundance pattern in Boo-1137 suggests inhomogeneous chemical evolution, consistent with the wide internal spread in Fe abundances we reported earlier. The similarity of most of the Boo-1137 relative abundances with respect to halo values, and the fact that the alpha-elements are all offset by a similar small amount from the halo averages, points to the same underlying galaxy-scale stellar initial mass function, but that Boo-1137 likely originated in a star-forming region where the abundances reflect either poor mixing of supernova (SN) ejecta, or poor sampling of the SN progenitor mass range, or both., Comment: 33 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Astrophysical Journal

The question whether the solar chemical composition is typical for solar-type stars is analysed by comparing the Sun with different stellar samples, including a sample of stars with very similar parameters, solar twins. Although typical in terms of overall metallicity for stars of solar age and galactic orbit, the solar atmosphere is found to have abundances, as compared with solar twins, that indicate that its gas has once been affected by dust formation and dust separation. It is concluded that this may be related to the formation of the solar planetary system and its special properties.

We review three Li problems. First, the Li problem in the Sun, for which some previous studies have argued that it may be Li-poor compared to other Suns. Second, we discuss the Li problem in planet hosting stars, which are claimed to be Li-poor when compared to field stars. Third, we discuss the cosmological Li problem, i.e. the discrepancy between the Li abundance in metal-poor stars (Spite plateau stars) and the predictions from standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. In all three cases we find that the "problems" are naturally explained by non-standard mixing in stars., Comment: Astrophysics and Space Science, in press. New version has one reference corrected

It is widely believed that Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) originate in binary systems where a white dwarf accretes material from a companion star until its mass approaches the Chandrasekhar mass and carbon is ignited in the white dwarf's core. This scenario predicts that the donor star should survive the supernova explosion, providing an opportunity to understand the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae.In this paper we argue that rotation is a generic signature expected of most non-giant donor stars that is easily measurable. \citep{2004Natur.431.1069R} examined stars in the center of the remnant of SN 1572 (Tycho's SN) and showed evidence that a subgiant star (Star G by their naming convention) near the remnant's centre was the system's donor star. We present high-resolution (R \simeq 40000) spectra taken with the High Dispersion Spectrograph on Subaru of this candidate donor star and measure the star's radial velocity as $79\pm 2$ \kms with respect to the LSR and put an upper limit on the star's rotation of 7.5 \kms. In addition, by comparing images that were taken in 1970 and 2004, we measure the proper motion of Star G to be $\mu_l = -1.6 \pm 2.1$ \masyr and $\mu_b = -2.7 \pm 1.6$ \masyr. We demonstrate that all of the measured properties of Star G presented in this paper are consistent with those of a star in the direction of Tycho's SN that is not associated with the supernova event. However, we discuss an unlikely, but still viable scenario for Star G to be the donor star, and suggest further observations that might be able to confirm or refute it., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

We present abundance measurements in the tidally disrupted globular cluster NGC 6712. In this cluster, there are large star-to-star variations of the light elements C, N, O, F and Na. While such abundance variations are seen in every well-studied globular cluster, they are not found in field stars and indicate that clusters like NGC 6712 cannot provide many field stars and/or field stars do not form in environments with chemical-enrichment histories like those of NGC 6712. Preliminary analysis of NGC 5466, another tidally disrupted cluster, suggests little (if any) abundance variation for O and Na and the abundance ratios [X/Fe] are comparable to field stars at the same metallicity. Therefore, globular clusters like NGC 5466 may have been Galactic building blocks.

We investigate the red giant branch (RGB) subpopulations of NGC 1851 using Ca uvby photometry. Our color-magnitude diagrams show that the RGB stars have two subpopulations and the RGB stars in NGC 1851 appear to have distinct elemental abundance patterns with the [Ca/H] abundance. We discuss that the elemental abundance patterns can be explained by the contributions from the asymptotic giant stars, confirming the previous studies by others. The RR Lyrae variables in NGC 1851 appear to have a large metallicity spread and, perhaps, a bimodal metallicity distribution. Our period shift analysis of the RR Lyrae variables shows that the helium enhancement appears to be insignificant in the NGC 1851 RR Lyrae population. However, the helium enrichment scenario in the blue or the red parts of horizontal branch (HB) cannot be completely ruled out. Our results show that about 18% of the bright RGB stars have enhanced CNO abundances, sharply in contrast to previous estimates by others (38%), making it difficult to explain the double subgiant, RGB sequences, and the bimodal HB distribution by their number ratios.

We present N abundances for 21 bright giants in the globular cluster NGC 6752 based on high-resolution UVES spectra of the 3360A NH lines. We confirm that the Stromgren c1 index traces the N abundance and find that the star-to-star N abundance variation is 1.95 dex, at the sample's luminosity. We find statistically significant correlations, but small amplitude variations, between the abundances of N and alpha-, Fe-peak, and s-process elements. Analyses using model atmospheres with appropriate N, O, Na, and Al abundances would strengthen, rather than mute, these correlations. If the small variations of heavy elements are real, then the synthesis of the N anomalies must take place in stars which also synthesize alpha-, Fe-peak, and s-process elements. These correlations offer support for contributions from both AGB and massive stars to the globular cluster abundance anomalies., Accepted for publication in ApJ

The evolution of the Milky Way bulge and its relationship with the other Galactic populations is still poorly understood. The bulge has been suggested to be either a merger-driven classical bulge or the product of a dynamical instability of the inner disk. To probe the star formation history, the initial mass function and stellar nucleosynthesis of the bulge, we performed an elemental abundance analysis of bulge red giant stars. We also completed an identical study of local thin disk, thick disk and halo giants to establish the chemical differences and similarities between the various populations. High-resolution infrared spectra of 19 bulge giants and 49 comparison giants in the solar neighborhood were acquired with Gemini/Phoenix. All stars have similar stellar parameters but cover a broad range in metallicity. A standard 1D local thermodynamic equilibrium analysis yielded the abundances of C, N, O and Fe. A homogeneous and differential analysis of the bulge, halo, thin disk and thick disk stars ensured that systematic errors were minimized. We confirm the well-established differences for [O/Fe] (at a given metallicity) between the local thin and thick disks. For the elements investigated, we find no chemical distinction between the bulge and the local thick disk, which is in contrast to previous studies relying on literature values for disk dwarf stars in the solar neighborhood. Our findings suggest that the bulge and local thick disk experienced similar, but not necessarily shared, chemical evolution histories. We argue that their formation timescales, star formation rates and initial mass functions were similar., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 5 pages

We do an initial reconnaissance of asymmetries of spectral lines in metal-poor field stars using high-resolution observations of four red horizontal-branch and 11 red giant branch stars taken with the coude spectrograph at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. We find that (1) the shapes of the line bisectors for metal-poor stars hotter than 4100 K mimic the well-known C shape of bisectors for solar-metallicity stars on the cool side of the granulation boundary while (2) metal-poor stars cooler than 4100 K, or higher up the red giant branch than M V = ?1.5, show bisectors with a reversed-C shape, similar to those for solar-metallicity stars on the hot side of the granulation boundary and similar to the reversed-C shape found in a previous study for the M-type supergiant Betelgeuse. The well-documented radial-velocity jitter of high-luminosity stars and the line bisector characteristics vary in concert up the red giant branch; both phenomena are probably signatures of large convection cells.

Context. Lithium and beryllium are destroyed at different temperatures in stellar interiors. As such, their relative abundances offer excellent probes of the nature and extent of mixing processes within and below the convection zone. Aims. We determine Be abundances for a sample of eight solar twins for which Li abundances have previously been determined. The analyzed solar twins span a very wide range of age, 0.5–8.2 Gyr, which enables us to study secular evolution of Li and Be depletion. Methods. We gathered high-quality UVES/VLT spectra and obtained Be abundances by spectral synthesis of the Be ii 313 nm doublet. Results. The derived beryllium abundances exhibit no significant variation with age. The more fragile Li, however, exhibits a monotonically decreasing abundance with increasing age. Therefore, relatively shallow extra mixing below the convection zone is necessary to simultaneously account for the observed Li and Be behavior in the Sun and solar twins Context. Lithium and beryllium are destroyed at different temperatures in stellar interiors. As such, their relative abundances offer excellent probes of the nature and extent of mixing processes within and below the convection zone. Aims. We determine Be abundances for a sample of eight solar twins for which Li abundances have previously been determined. The analyzed solar twins span a very wide range of age, 0.5–8.2 Gyr, which enables us to study secular evolution of Li and Be depletion. Methods. We gathered high-quality UVES/VLT spectra and obtained Be abundances by spectral synthesis of the Be ii 313 nm doublet. Results. The derived beryllium abundances exhibit no significant variation with age. The more fragile Li, however, exhibits a monotonically decreasing abundance with increasing age. Therefore, relatively shallow extra mixing below the convection zone is necessary to simultaneously account for the observed Li and Be behavior in the Sun and solar twins

We present a high-resolution elemental-abundance analysis for a sample of 23 very metal-poor (VMP; [Fe/H] < -2.0) stars, 12 of which are extremely metal-poor (EMP; [Fe/H] < -3.0), and 4 of which are ultra metal-poor (UMP; [Fe/H] < -4.0). These stars were targeted to explore differences in the abundance ratios for elements that constrain the possible astrophysical sites of element production, including Li, C, N, O, the alpha-elements, the iron-peak elements, and a number of neutron-capture elements. This sample substantially increases the number of known carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) and nitrogen-enhanced metal-poor (NEMP) stars -- our program stars include eight that are considered "normal" metal-poor stars, six CEMP-no stars, five CEMP-s stars, two CEMP-r stars, and two CEMP-r/s stars. One of the CEMP-$r$ stars and one of the CEMP-r/s stars are possible NEMP stars. We detect lithium for three of the six CEMP-no stars, all of which are Li-depleted with respect to the Spite plateau. The majority of the CEMP stars have [C/N] > 0. The stars with [C/N] < 0 suggest a larger degree of mixing; the few CEMP-no stars that exhibit this signature are only found at [Fe/H] < -3.4, a metallicity below which we also find the CEMP-no stars with large enhancements in Na, Mg, and Al. We confirm the existence of two plateaus in the absolute carbon abundances of CEMP stars, as suggested by Spite et al. We also present evidence for a "floor" in the absolute Ba abundances of CEMP-no stars at A(Ba)~ -2.0., 20 pages, 16 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ

The GALAH survey is a large high-resolution spectroscopic survey using the newly commissioned HERMES spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The HERMES spectrograph provides high-resolution (R ~28,000) spectra in four passbands for 392 stars simultaneously over a 2 degree field of view. The goal of the survey is to unravel the formation and evolutionary history of the Milky Way, using fossil remnants of ancient star formation events which have been disrupted and are now dispersed throughout the Galaxy. Chemical tagging seeks to identify such dispersed remnants solely from their common and unique chemical signatures; these groups are unidentifiable from their spatial, photometric or kinematic properties. To carry out chemical tagging, the GALAH survey will acquire spectra for a million stars down to V~14. The HERMES spectra of FGK stars contain absorption lines from 29 elements including light proton-capture elements, alpha-elements, odd-Z elements, iron-peak elements and n-capture elements from the light and heavy s-process and the r-process. This paper describes the motivation and planned execution of the GALAH survey, and presents some results on the first-light performance of HERMES., Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures