Search

Stars presently identified in the bulge spheroid are probably very old, and their abundances can be interpreted as due to the fast chemical enrichment of the early Galactic bulge. The abundances of the iron-peak elements are important tracers of nucleosynthesis processes, in particular oxygen burning, silicon burning, the weak s-process, and alpha-rich freeze-out. Aims. The aim of this work is to derive the abundances of V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu in 58 bulge spheroid stars and to compare them with the results of a previous analysis of data from APOGEE. We selected the best lines for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu located within the H-band of the spectrum, identifying the most suitable ones for abundance determination, and discarding severe blends. Using the stellar physical parameters available for our sample from the DR17 release of the APOGEE project, we derived the individual abundances through spectrum synthesis. We then complemented these measurements with similar results from different bulge field and globular cluster stars, in order to define the trends of the individual elements and compare with the results of chemical-evolution models. We verify that the H-band has useful lines for the derivation of the elements V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu in moderately metal-poor stars. The resulting abundances indicate that: V, Cr, and Ni vary in lockstep with Fe; Co tends to vary in lockstep with Fe, but could be showing a slight decrease with decreasing metallicity; and Mn and Cu decrease with decreasing metallicity. These behaviours are well reproduced by chemical-evolution models except for Cu, which appears to drop faster than the models predict for moderate metallicities. Finally, abundance indicators combined with kinematical and dynamical criteria appear to show that our 58 sample stars are likely to have originated in situ., Comment: 12 pages, Astronomy & Astrophysics, accepted on 9/October/2024

The ESO public survey VISTA Variables in the V\'ia L\'actea (VVV) surveyed the inner Galactic bulge and the adjacent southern Galactic disk from $2009-2015$. Upon its conclusion, the complementary VVV eXtended (VVVX) survey has expanded both the temporal as well as spatial coverage of the original VVV area, widening it from $562$ to $1700$ sq. deg., as well as providing additional epochs in $JHK_{\rm s}$ filters from $2016-2023$. With the completion of VVVX observations during the first semester of 2023, we present here the observing strategy, a description of data quality and access, and the legacy of VVVX. VVVX took $\sim 2000$ hours, covering about 4% of the sky in the bulge and southern disk. VVVX covered most of the gaps left between the VVV and the VISTA Hemisphere Survey (VHS) areas and extended the VVV time baseline in the obscured regions affected by high extinction and hence hidden from optical observations. VVVX provides a deep $JHK_{\rm s}$ catalogue of $\gtrsim 1.5\times10^9$ point sources, as well as a $K_{\rm s}$ band catalogue of $\sim 10^7$ variable sources. Within the existing VVV area, we produced a $5D$ map of the surveyed region by combining positions, distances, and proper motions of well-understood distance indicators such as red clump stars, RR Lyrae, and Cepheid variables. In March 2023 we successfully finished the VVVX survey observations that started in 2016, an accomplishment for ESO Paranal Observatory upon 4200 hours of observations for VVV+VVVX. The VVV+VVVX catalogues complement those from the Gaia mission at low Galactic latitudes and provide spectroscopic targets for the forthcoming ESO high-multiplex spectrographs MOONS and 4MOST., Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures (+ appendix). Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics in section 14: Catalogs and data

Globular clusters (GCs) are excellent tracers of the formation and early evolution of the Milky Way. The bulge GCs (BGCs) are particularly important because they can reveal vital information about the oldest, in-situ component of the Milky Way. We aim at deriving mean metallicities and radial velocities for 13 GCs that lie towards the bulge and are generally associated with this component. We use near infrared low resolution spectroscopy with the FORS2 instrument on the VLT to measure the wavelengths and equivalent widths of the CaII triplet (CaT) lines for a number of stars per cluster. We derive radial velocities, ascertain membership and apply known calibrations to determine metallicities for cluster members, for a mean of 11 members per cluster. We derive mean cluster RV values to 3 km/s, and mean metallicities to 0.05 dex. Our sample has metallicities lying between -0.21 and -1.64 and is distributed between the traditional metal-rich BGC peak near [Fe/H] aprox. -0.5 and a more metal-poor peak around [Fe/H] aprox. -1.1, which has recently been identified. These latter are candidates for the oldest GCs in the Galaxy, if blue horizontal branches are present, and include BH 261, NGC 6401, NGC 6540, NGC 6642, and Terzan 9. Finally, Terzan 10 is even more metal-poor. However, dynamically, Terzan 10 is likely an intruder from the halo, possibly associated with the Gaia-Enceladus or Kraken accretion events. Terzan 10 is also confirmed as an Oosterhotype II GC based on our results. The lone halo intruder in our sample, Terzan 10, is conspicuous for also having by far the lowest metallicity, and casts doubt on the possibility of any bonafide BGCs at metallicities below about aprox. -1.5., Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication on Astronomy & Astrophysics

The central part of the Galaxy host a multitude of stellar populations, including the spheroidal bulge stars, stars moved to the bulge through secular evolution of the bar, inner halo, inner thick disk, inner thin disk, as well as debris from past accretion events. We identified a sample of 58 candidate stars belonging to the stellar population of the spheroidal bulge, and analyse their abundances. The present calculations of Mg, Ca, and Si lines are in agreement with the APOGEE-ASPCAP abundances, whereas abundances of C, N, O, and Ce are re-examined. We find normal $\alpha$-element enhancements in oxygen, similar to magnesium, Si, and Ca abundances, which are typical of other bulge stars surveyed in the optical in Baade's Window. The enhancement of [O/Fe] in these stars suggests that they do not belong to accreted debris. No spread in N abundances is found, and none of the sample stars is N-rich, indicating that these stars are not second generation stars originated in globular clusters. Ce instead is enhanced in the sample stars, which points to an s-process origin such as due to enrichment from early generations of massive fast rotating stars, the so-called spinstars, Comment: to be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey is an ambitious project designed to obtain astrophysical parameters and elemental abundances for 100,000 stars, including large representative samples of the stellar populations in the Galaxy, and a well-defined sample of 60 (plus 20 archive) open clusters. We provide internally consistent results calibrated on benchmark stars and star clusters, extending across a very wide range of abundances and ages. This provides a legacy data set of intrinsic value, and equally a large wide-ranging dataset that is of value for homogenisation of other and future stellar surveys and Gaia's astrophysical parameters. This article provides an overview of the survey methodology, the scientific aims, and the implementation, including a description of the data processing for the GIRAFFE spectra. A companion paper (arXiv:2206.02901) introduces the survey results. Gaia-ESO aspires to quantify both random and systematic contributions to measurement uncertainties. Thus all available spectroscopic analysis techniques are utilised, each spectrum being analysed by up to several different analysis pipelines, with considerable effort being made to homogenise and calibrate the resulting parameters. We describe here the sequence of activities up to delivery of processed data products to the ESO Science Archive Facility for open use. The Gaia-ESO Survey obtained 202,000 spectra of 115,000 stars using 340 allocated VLT nights between December 2011 and January 2018 from GIRAFFE and UVES. The full consistently reduced final data set of spectra was released through the ESO Science Archive Facility in late 2020, with the full astrophysical parameters sets following in 2022., Comment: 38 pages. A&A in press

NGC 362 is a non-common Type II Galactic globular cluster, showing a complex pseudo two-color diagram or 'chromosome map'. The clear separation of its stellar populations in the color-magnitude diagram and the distribution of the giant stars in the chromosome map strongly suggests that NGC 362 could host stars with both cluster-nominal as well as enhanced heavy-element abundances, and one of them could be iron. However, despite previous spectroscopic observations of NGC 362, no such iron variation has been detected. Our main goal is to confirm or disprove this result by searching for any internal variation of [Fe/H] which would give us insight into the formation and evolution of this interesting globular cluster. In this paper, we present the abundance analysis for a sample of 11 red giant branch members based on high-resolution and high S/N spectra obtained with the MIKE echelle spectrograph mounted at the Magellan-Clay telescope. HST and GAIA photometry and astrometry has been used to determine atmospheric parameters and membership. We obtained T$_{\text{eff}}$, log(g) and v$_{\text{t}}$ for our target stars and measured the mean iron content of the sample and its dispersion with three different methods, which lead to [Fe/H]$_1$=-1.10$\pm0.02$, [Fe/H]$_2$=-1.09$\pm0.01$ and [Fe/H]$_3$=-1.10$\pm0.01$, while the internal dispersion turned out to be $\sigma_{[\text{Fe/H}]_1}$=0.06$\pm0.01$, $\sigma_{[\text{Fe/H}]_2}$=0.03$\pm0.01$ and $\sigma_{[\text{Fe/H}]_3}$=0.05$\pm0.01$ respectively. The error analysis gives an internal dispersion due to observational error of 0.05 dex. Comparing the observed dispersion with the internal errors, we conclude that NGC 362 does not show any trace of an internal iron spread., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures

In the last 15 years different ground-based spectroscopic surveys have been started (and completed) with the general aim of delivering stellar parameters and elemental abundances for large samples of Galactic stars, complementing Gaia astrometry. Among those surveys, the Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey (GES), the only one performed on a 8m class telescope, was designed to target 100,000 stars using FLAMES on the ESO VLT (both Giraffe and UVES spectrographs), covering all the Milky Way populations, with a special focus on open star clusters. This article provides an overview of the survey implementation (observations, data quality, analysis and its success, data products, and releases), of the open cluster survey, of the science results and potential, and of the survey legacy. A companion article (Gilmore et al.) reviews the overall survey motivation, strategy, Giraffe pipeline data reduction, organisation, and workflow. The GES has determined homogeneous good-quality radial velocities and stellar parameters for a large fraction of its more than 110,000 unique target stars. Elemental abundances were derived for up to 31 elements for targets observed with UVES. Lithium abundances are delivered for about 1/3 of the sample. The analysis and homogenisation strategies have proven to be successful; several science topics have been addressed by the Gaia-ESO consortium and the community, with many highlight results achieved. The final catalogue has been released through the ESO archive at the end of May 2022, including the complete set of advanced data products. In addition to these results, the Gaia-ESO Survey will leave a very important legacy, for several aspects and for many years to come., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 30 pages, 30 figures, 4 tables

The structure of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is very complex, in particular in the periphery that suffers more from the interactions with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). A wealth of observational evidence has been accumulated revealing tidal tails and bridges made up of gas, stars and star clusters. Nevertheless, a full picture of the SMC outskirts is only recently starting to emerge with a 6D phase-space map plus age and metallicity using star clusters as tracers. In this work, we continue our analysis of another outer region of the SMC, the so-called West Halo, and combined it with the previously analysed Northern Bridge. We use both structures to define the Bridge and Counter-bridge trailing and leading tidal tails. These two structures are moving away from each other, roughly in the SMC-LMC direction. The West Halo form a ring around the SMC inner regions that goes up to the background of the Northern Bridge shaping an extended layer of the Counter-bridge. Four old Bridge clusters were identified at distances larger than 8 kpc from the SMC centre moving towards the LMC, which is consistent with the SMC-LMC closest distance of 7.5 kpc when the Magellanic Bridge was formed about 150Myr ago; this shows that the Magellanic Bridge was not formed only by pulled gas, but it also removed older stars from the SMC during its formation. We also found age and metallicity radial gradients using projected distances on sky, which are vanished when we use the real 3D distances., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures + appendix. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Recent studies show that the inner Galactic regions host genuine bulge globular clusters, but also halo intruders, complex remnants of primordial building blocks, and objects likely accreted during major merging events. In this study we focus on the properties of M 28, a very old and massive cluster currently located in the Galactic bulge. We analysed wide-field infrared photometry collected by the VVV survey, VVV proper motions, and intermediate-resolution spectra in the calcium triplet range for 113 targets in the cluster area. Our results in general confirm previous estimates of the cluster properties available in the literature. We find no evidence of differences in metallicity between cluster stars, setting an upper limit of Delta[Fe/H]<0.08 dex to any internal inhomogeneity. We confirm that M 28 is one of the oldest objects in the Galactic bulge (13-14 Gyr). From this result and the literature data, we find evidence of a weak age-metallicity relation among bulge globular clusters that suggests formation and chemical enrichment. In addition, wide-field density maps show that M 28 is tidally stressed and that it is losing mass into the general bulge field. Our study indicates that M 28 is a genuine bulge globular cluster, but its very old age and its mass loss suggest that this cluster could be the remnant of a larger structure, possibly a primeval bulge building block., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Context. The interactions between the SMC and LMC created the Magellanic Bridge, a stream of gas and stars pulled out of the SMC towards the LMC about 150 Myr ago. The tidal counterpart of this structure, which should include a trailing arm, has been predicted by models but no compelling observational evidence has confirmed the Counter-Bridge so far. Aims. The main goal of this work is to find the stellar counterpart of the Magellanic Bridge and Counter-Bridge. We use star clusters in the SMC outskirts as they provide 6D phase-space vector, age and metallicity that help characterise the outskirts of the SMC. Methods. Distances, ages and photometric metallicities are derived from fitting isochrones to the colour-magnitude diagrams from the VISCACHA survey. Radial velocities and spectroscopic metallicities are derived from the spectroscopic follow-up using GMOS in the CaII triplet region. Results. Among the seven clusters analysed in this work, five belong to the Magellanic Bridge and one belongs to the Counter-Bridge and the other to the transition region. Conclusions. The existence of the tidal counterpart of the Magellanic Bridge is evidenced by star clusters. The stellar component of the Magellanic Bridge and Counter-Bridge are confirmed in the SMC outskirts. These results are an important constraint for models that seek to reconstruct the history of the orbit and interactions between LMC-SMC and constrain their future interaction including with the Milky Way., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. Astronomy and Astrophysics Letter, accepted. For associated video file (fig.A.4), see https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mSx3z6vDjHUneEeVq1i-MHwXZ1O0pZ-f

In this article, we present a detailed chemical analysis of seven red giant members of NGC 6553 using high-resolution spectroscopy from VLT FLAMES. We obtained the stellar parameters (Teff, Log(g), vt, [Fe/H]) of these stars from the spectra, and we measured the chemical abundance for 20 elements, including light elements, iron-peak elements, alpha-elements and neutron-capture elements. The metallicities in our sample stars are consistent with a homogeneous distribution. We found a mean of [Fe/H]=-0.14+/-0.07 dex, in agreement with other studies. Using the alpha-elements Mg, Si, Ca and Ti we obtain the mean of [alpha/Fe]=0.11+/-0.05. We found a vertical relation between Na and O, characterized by a significant spread in Na and an almost non-existent spread in O. In fact, Na and Al are the only two light elements with a large intrinsic spread, which demonstrates the presence of Multiple Populations (MPs). An intrinsic spread in Mg is not detected in this study. The alpha, iron-peak and neutron capture elements show good agreement with the trend of the bulge field stars, indicating similar origin and evolution, in concordance with our previous studies for two other bulge GCs (NGC 6440 and NGC 6528)., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

In our HST photometric survey, we have been searching for multiple stellar populations (MPs) in Magellanic Clouds (MCs) massive star clusters which span a significant range of ages ($\sim 1.5-11$ Gyr). In the previous papers of the series, we have shown that the age of the cluster represents one of the key factors in shaping the origin of the chemical anomalies. Here we present the analysis of four additional clusters in the MCs, namely Lindsay 38, Lindsay 113, NGC 2121 and NGC 2155, for which we recently obtained new UV HST observations. These clusters are more massive than $\sim 10^4M_{\odot}$ and have ages between $\sim 2.5-6$ Gyr, i.e. located in a previously unexplored region of the cluster age/mass diagram. We found chemical anomalies, in the form of N spreads, in three out of four clusters in the sample, namely in NGC 2121, NGC 2155 and Lindsay 113. By combining data from our survey and HST photometry for 3 additional clusters in the Milky Way (namely 47 Tuc, M15 and NGC 2419), we show that the extent of the MPs in the form of N spread is a strong function of age, with older clusters having larger N spreads with respect to the younger ones. Hence, we confirm that cluster age plays a significant role in the onset of MPs., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 12 pages, 9 figures

We used high-resolution optical HST/WFC3 and multi-conjugate adaptive optics assisted GEMINI GeMS/GSAOI observations in the near-infrared to investigate the physical properties of the globular cluster NGC 6569 in the Galactic bulge. We have obtained the deepest purely NIR color-magnitude diagram published so far for this cluster using ground-based observations, reaching $K_{s}$ $\approx$ 21.0 mag (two magnitudes below the main-sequence turn-off point). By combining the two datasets secured at two different epochs, we determined relative proper motions for a large sample of individual stars in the center of NGC 6569, allowing a robust selection of cluster member stars. Our proper motion analysis solidly demonstrates that, despite its relatively high metal content, NGC 6569 hosts some blue horizontal branch stars. A differential reddening map has been derived in the direction of the system, revealing a maximum color excess variation of about $\delta E(B-V)$ $\sim$ 0.12 mag in the available field of view. The absolute age of NGC 6569 has been determined for the first time. In agreement with the other few bulge globular clusters with available age estimates, NGC 6569 turns out to be old, with an age of about 12.8 Gyr, and a typical uncertainty of 0.8-1.0 Gyr., Comment: 25 pages, 16 Figures, 1 Table. Accepted for publication in ApJ

We analyze a large sample of 885 GCs giants from the APOGEE survey. We used the Cannon results to separate the red giant branch and the asymptotic giant branch stars, not only allowing for a refinement of surface gravity from isochrones, but also providing an independent H-band spectroscopic method to distinguish stellar evolutionary status in clusters. We then use the BACCHUS code to derive metallicity, microturbulence, acroturbulence and many light-element abundances as well as the neutron-capture elements Nd and Ce for the first time from the APOGEE GCs data. Our independent analysis helped us to diagnose issues regarding the standard analysis of the APOGEE DR14 for low-metallicity GC stars. Furthermore, while we confirm most of the known correlations and anti-correlation trends (Na-O, Mg-Al,C-N), we discover that some stars within our most metal-poor clusters show an extreme Mg depletion and some Si enhancement but at the same time show some relative Al depletion, displaying a turnover in the Mg-Al diagram. These stars suggest that Al has been partially depleted in their progenitors by very hot proton-capture nucleosynthetic processes. Furthermore, we attempted to quantitatively correlate the spread of Al abundances with the global properties of GCs. We find an anti-correlation of the Al spread against clusters metallicity and luminosity, but the data do not allow to find clear evidence of a dependence of N against metallicity in the more metal-poor clusters. Large and homogeneously analyzed samples from on-going spectroscopic surveys unveil unseen chemical details for many clusters, including a turnover in the Mg-Al anti-correlation, thus yielding new constrains for GCs formation evolution models., Comment: 17 pages, 23 figures, accepted in A&A

We present the physical characterization of FSR 1758, a new large, massive object very recently discovered in the Galactic Bulge. The combination of optical data from the 2nd Gaia Data Release (GDR2) and the DECam Plane Survey (DECaPS), and near-IR data from the VISTA Variables in the V\'{\i}a L\'actea Extended Survey (VVVX) led to a clean sample of likely members. Based on this integrated dataset, position, distance, reddening, size, metallicity, absolute magnitude, and proper motion of this object are measured. We estimate the following parameters: $\alpha=17:31:12$, $\delta=-39:48:30$ (J2000), $D=11.5 \pm 1.0$ kpc, $E(J-Ks)=0.20 \pm 0.03$ mag, $R_c=10$ pc, $R_t=150$ pc, $[Fe/H]=-1.5 \pm 0.3$ dex, $M_i < -8.6 \pm 1.0$, $\mu_{\alpha} = -2.85$ mas yr$^{-1}$, and $\mu_{\delta} = 2.55$ mas yr$^{-1}$. The nature of this object is discussed. If FRS 1758 is a genuine globular cluster, it is one of the largest in the Milky Way, with a size comparable or even larger than that of $\omega$ Cen, being also an extreme outlier in the size vs. Galactocentric distance diagram. The presence of a concentration of long-period RR Lyrae variable stars and blue horizontal branch stars suggests that it is a typical metal-poor globular cluster of Oosterhoff type II. Further exploration of a larger surrounding field reveals common proper motion stars, suggesting either tidal debris or that FRS\,1758 is actually the central part of a larger extended structure such as a new dwarf galaxy, tentatively named as Scorpius. In either case, this object is remarkable, and its discovery graphically illustrates the possibility to find other large objects hidden in the Galactic Bulge using future surveys., Comment: Accepted Astrophysical Journal Letters

The Bulge Globular Clusters (GCs) are key tracers of this central ancient component of our Galaxy. It is essential to understand their formation and evolution to study that of the bulge, as well as their relationship with the other Galactic GC systems (halo and disk GCs). Our main goals are to obtain detailed abundances for a sample of seven red giant members of NGC 6528 in order to characterize its chemical composition and study the relationship of this GC with the bulge, and with other bulge, halo and disk GCs. Moreover, we analyze this cluster$'$s behavior associated with the Multiple Populations (MPs) phenomenon. We obtained the stellar parameters and chemical abundances of light elements (Na, Al), iron-peak elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu), {\alpha}-elements (O, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti) and heavy elements (Zr, Ba, Eu) in seven red giant members of NGC 6528 using high resolution spectroscopy from FLAMES-UVES. We obtained in six stars of our sample a mean iron content of [Fe/H]=-0.14+/-0.03 dex, in good agreement with other studies. We found no significant internal iron spread. We detected one candidate variable star, which was excluded from the mean in iron content, we derived a metallicity in this star of [Fe/H]=-0.55+/-0.04 dex. Moreover, we found no extended O-Na anticorrelation but instead only an intrinsic Na spread. In addition, NGC 6528 does not exhibit a Mg-Al anticorrelation, and no significant spread in either Mg or Al. The {\alpha} and iron-peak elements show good agreement with the bulge field star trend. The heavy elements are slightly dominated by the r-process. The chemical analysis suggests an origin and evolution similar to that of typical old Bulge field stars. Finally, we find remarkable agreement in the chemical patterns of NGC 6528 and another bulge GC, NGC 6553, suggesting a similar origin and evolution., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 12 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables

In this paper we review the operational definition of the so-called main sequence knee (MS-knee), a feature in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) occurring at the low-mass end of the MS. The magnitude of this feature is predicted to be independent of age at fixed chemical composition. For this reason, its difference in magnitude with respect to the MS turn-off (MS-TO) point has been suggested as a possible diagnostic to estimate absolute globular cluster (GC) ages. We first demonstrate that the operational definition of the MS-knee currently adopted in the literature refers to the inflection point of the MS (that we here more appropriately named MS-saddle), a feature that is well distinct from the knee and that cannot be used as its proxy. The MS-knee is only visible in near-infrared CMDs, while the MS-saddle can be also detected in optical-NIR CMDs. By using different sets of isochrones we then demonstrate that the absolute magni- tude of the MS-knee varies by a few tenths of a dex from one model to another, thus showing that at the moment stellar models may not capture the full systematic error in the method. We also demonstrate that while the absolute magnitude of the MS-saddle is almost coincident in different models, it has a systematic dependence on the adopted color combinations which is not predicted by stellar models. Hence, it cannot be used as a reliable reference for absolute age determination. Moreover, when statistical and systematic uncertainties are properly taken into ac- count, the difference in magnitude between the MS-TO and the MS-saddle does not provide absolute ages with better accuracy than other methods like the MS-fitting., Comment: 31 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

We have recently shown that the $\sim2$ Gyr old Large Magellanic Cloud star cluster NGC 1978 hosts multiple populations in terms of star-to-star abundance variations in [N/Fe]. These can be seen as a splitting or spread in the sub-giant and red giant branches (SGB and RGB) when certain photometric filter combinations are used. Due to its relative youth, NGC 1978 can be used to place stringent limits on whether multiple bursts of star-formation have taken place within the cluster, as predicted by some models for the origin of multiple populations. We carry out two distinct analyses to test whether multiple star-formation epochs have occurred within NGC 1978. First, we use UV CMDs to select stars from the first and second population along the SGB, and then compare their positions in optical CMDs, where the morphology is dominantly controlled by age as opposed to multiple population effects. We find that the two populations are indistinguishable, with age differences of $1\pm20$ Myr between them. This is in tension with predictions from the AGB scenario for the origin of multiple populations. Second, we estimate the broadness of the main sequence turnoff (MSTO) of NGC 1978 and we report that it is consistent with the observational errors. We find an upper limit of $\sim$65 Myr on the age spread in the MSTO of NGC 1978. This finding is in conflict with the age spread scenario as origin of the extended MSTO in intermediate age clusters, while it fully supports predictions from the stellar rotation model., Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication on MNRAS

We present elemental abundance analysis of high-resolution spectra for five giant stars, deriving Fe, Mg, Al, C, N, O, Si and Ce abundances, and spatially located within the innermost regions of the bulge globular cluster NGC 6522, based on H-band spectra taken with the multi-object APOGEE-north spectrograph from the SDSS-IV Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey. Of the five cluster candidates, two previously unremarked stars are confirmed to have second-generation (SG) abundance patterns, with the basic pattern of depletion in C and Mg simultaneous with enrichment in N and Al as seen in other SG globular cluster populations at similar metallicity. } In agreement with the most recent optical studies, the NGC 6522 stars analyzed exhibit (when available) only mild overabundances of the s-process element Ce, contradicting the idea of the NGC 6522 stars being formed from gas enriched by spinstars and indicating that other stellar sources such as massive AGB stars could be the primary intra-cluster medium polluters. The peculiar abundance signature of SG stars have been observed in our data, confirming the presence of multiple generations of stars in NGC 6522., Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, matches the accepted version in A&A

It is now well established that globular clusters (GCs) exhibit star-to-star light-element abundance variations (known as multiple stellar populations, MPs). Such chemical anomalies have been found in (nearly) all the ancient GCs (more than 10 Gyr old) of our Galaxy and its close companions, but so far no model for the origin of MPs is able to reproduce all the relevant observations. To gain new insights into this phenomenon, we have undertaken a photometric Hubble Space Telescope survey to study clusters with masses comparable to that of old GCs, where MPs have been identified, but with significantly younger ages. Nine clusters in the Magellanic Clouds with ages between $\sim$ 1.5-11 Gyr have been targeted in this survey. We confirm the presence of multiple populations in all clusters older than 6 Gyr and we add NGC 1978 to the group of clusters for which MPs have been identified. With an age of $\sim$ 2 Gyr, NGC 1978 is the youngest cluster known to host chemical abundance spreads found to date. We do not detect evident star-to-star variations for slightly younger massive clusters ($\sim$ 1.7 Gyr), thus pointing towards an unexpected age dependence for the onset of multiple populations. This discovery suggests that the formation of MPs is not restricted to the early Universe and that GCs and young massive clusters share common formation and evolutionary processes., Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We report the peculiar chemical abundance patterns of eleven atypical Milky Way (MW) field red giant stars observed by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE). These atypical giants exhibit strong Al and N enhancements accompanied by C and Mg depletions, strikingly similar to those observed in the so-called second-generation (SG) stars of globular clusters (GCs). Remarkably, we find low-Mg abundances ([Mg/Fe]$<$0.0) together with strong Al and N overabundances in the majority (5/7) of the metal-rich ([Fe/H]$\gtrsim - 1.0$) sample stars, which is at odds with actual observations of SG stars in Galactic CGs of similar metallicities. This chemical pattern is unique and unprecedented among MW stars, posing urgent questions about its origin. These atypical stars could be former SG stars of dissolved GCs formed with intrinsically lower abundances of Mg and enriched Al (subsequently self-polluted by massive AGB stars) or the result of exotic binary systems. We speculate that the stars Mg-deficiency as well as the orbital properties suggest that they could have an extragalactic origin. This discovery should guide future dedicated spectroscopic searches of atypical stellar chemical patterns in our Galaxy; a fundamental step forward to understand the Galactic formation and evolution., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, 11 pages, 2 Figures, 2 Tables

Context. Galactic Globular Clusters (GCs) are essential tools to understand the earliest epoch of the Milky Way, since they are among the oldest objects in the Universe and can be used to trace its formation and evolution. Current studies using high resolution spectroscopy for many stars in each of a large sample of GCs allow us to develop a detailed observational picture about their formation and their relation with the Galaxy. However, it is necessary to complete this picture by including GCs that belong to all major Galactic components, including the Bulge. Aims. Our aim is to perform a detailed chemical analyses of the bulge GC NGC 6440 in order to determine if this object has Multiple Populations (MPs) and investigate its relation with the Bulge of the Milky Way and with the other Galactic GCs, especially those associated with the Bulge, which are largely poorly studied. Methods. We determined the stellar parameters and the chemical abundances of light elements (Na, Al), iron-peak elements (Fe, Sc, Mn, Co, Ni), $\alpha$-elements (O, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti) and heavy elements (Ba, Eu) in seven red giant members of NGC 6440 using high resolution spectroscopy from FLAMES@UVES. Results. We found a mean iron content of [Fe/H]=-0.50$\pm$0.03 dex in agreement with other studies. We found no internal iron spread. On the other hand, Na and Al show a significant intrinsic spread, but the cluster has no significant O-Na anticorrelation nor exhibits a Mg-Al anticorrelation. The $\alpha$-elements show good agreement with the Bulge field star trend, although they are at the high alpha end and are also higher than those of other GCs of comparable metallicity. The heavy elements are dominated by the r-process, indicating a strong contribution by SNeII. The chemical analysis suggests an origin similar to that of the Bulge field stars., Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A

We present the third paper about our ongoing HST survey for the search for multiple stellar populations (MPs) within Magellanic Cloud clusters. We report here the analysis of NGC 419, a $\sim 1.5$ Gyr old, massive ($\gtrsim 2 \times 10^5 \, {\rm M_{\odot}}$) star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). By comparing our photometric data with stellar isochrones, we set a limit on [N/Fe] enhancement of $\lesssim$+0.5 dex and hence we find that no MPs are detected in this cluster. This is surprising because, in the first two papers of this series, we found evidence for MPs in 4 other SMC clusters (NGC 121; Lindsay 1, NGC 339, NGC 416), aged from 6 Gyr up to $\sim 10-11$ Gyr. This finding raises the question whether age could play a major role in the MPs phenomenon. Additionally, our results appear to exclude mass or environment as the only key factors regulating the existence of a chemical enrichment, since all clusters studied so far in this survey are equally massive ($\sim 1-2 \times 10^5 \, {\rm M_{\odot}}$) and no particular patterns are found when looking at their spatial distribution in the SMC., Comment: MNRAS, accepted. 9 pages, 7 figures

Baade's window (BW) is one of the most observed Galactic bulge fields in terms of chemical abundances. Due to its low and homogeneous interstellar absorption it is considered as a calibration field for Galactic bulge studies. In the era of large spectroscopic surveys, calibration fields such as BW are necessary to cross calibrate the stellar parameters and individual abundances of the APOGEE survey. We use the APOGEE BW stars to derive their metallicity distribution function (MDF) and individual abundances, for $\alpha$- and iron-peak elements of the APOGEE ASPCAP pipeline (DR13), as well as the age distribution for stars in BW. We determine the MDF of APOGEE stars in BW and find a remarkable agreement with that of the Gaia-ESO survey (GES). Both exhibit a clear bimodal distribution. We also find that the Mg-metallicity planes of both surveys agree well, except for the metal-rich part ([Fe/H] >0.1), where APOGEE finds systematically higher Mg abundances with respect to the GES. The ages based on the [C/N] ratio reveal a bimodal age distribution, with a major old population at 10 Gyr, with a decreasing tail towards younger stars. A comparison between APOGEE estimates and stellar parameters, and those determined by other sources reveals detectable systematic offsets, in particular for spectroscopic surface gravity estimates. In general, we find a good agreement between individual abundances of O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Co, and Ni from APOGEE with that of literature values. We have shown that in general APOGEE data show a good agreement in terms of MDF and individual chemical abundances with respect to literature works. Using the [C/N] ration we found a significant fraction of young stars in BW which is in agreement with the model of Haywood et al. (2016)., Comment: 14 pages, 15 figure, accepted for Astronomy&Astrophysics

Milky Way open clusters are very diverse in terms of age, chemical composition, and kinematic properties. Intermediate-age and old open clusters are less common, and it is even harder to find them inside the solar Galactocentric radius, due to the high mortality rate and strong extinction inside this region. NGC 6802 is one of the inner disk open clusters (IOCs) observed by the $Gaia$-ESO survey (GES). This cluster is an important target for calibrating the abundances derived in the survey due to the kinematic and chemical homogeneity of the members in open clusters. Using the measurements from $Gaia$-ESO internal data release 4 (iDR4), we identify 95 main-sequence dwarfs as cluster members from the GIRAFFE target list, and eight giants as cluster members from the UVES target list. The dwarf cluster members have a median radial velocity of $13.6\pm1.9$ km s$^{-1}$, while the giant cluster members have a median radial velocity of $12.0\pm0.9$ km s$^{-1}$ and a median [Fe/H] of $0.10\pm0.02$ dex. The color-magnitude diagram of these cluster members suggests an age of $0.9\pm0.1$ Gyr, with $(m-M)_0=11.4$ and $E(B-V)=0.86$. We perform the first detailed chemical abundance analysis of NGC 6802, including 27 elemental species. To gain a more general picture about IOCs, the measurements of NGC 6802 are compared with those of other IOCs previously studied by GES, that is, NGC 4815, Trumpler 20, NGC 6705, and Berkeley 81. NGC 6802 shows similar C, N, Na, and Al abundances as other IOCs. These elements are compared with nucleosynthetic models as a function of cluster turn-off mass. The $\alpha$, iron-peak, and neutron-capture elements are also explored in a self-consistent way., Comment: 18 pages, 12 Figures, A&A accepted

We explore to which extent stars within Galactic disk open clusters resemble each other in the high-dimensional space of their photospheric element abundances, and contrast this with pairs of field stars. Our analysis is based on abundances for 20 elements, homogeneously derived from APOGEE spectra (with carefully quantified uncertainties, with a median value of $\sim 0.03$ dex). We consider 90 red giant stars in seven open clusters and find that most stars within a cluster have abundances in most elements that are indistinguishable (in a $\chi^2$-sense) from those of the other members, as expected for stellar birth siblings. An analogous analysis among pairs of $>1000$ field stars shows that highly significant abundance differences in the 20-dimensional space can be established for the vast majority of these pairs, and that the APOGEE-based abundance measurements have high discriminating power. However, pairs of field stars whose abundances are indistinguishable even at 0.03~dex precision exist: $\sim 0.3$ percent of all field star pairs, and $\sim 1.0$ percent of field star pairs at the same (solar) metallicity [Fe/H] = $0 \pm 0.02$. Most of these pairs are presumably not birth siblings from the same cluster, but rather doppelganger. Our analysis implies that 'chemical tagging' in the strict sense, identifying birth siblings for typical disk stars through their abundance similarity alone, will not work with such data. However, our approach shows that abundances have extremely valuable information for probabilistic chemo-orbital modeling and combined with velocities, we have identified new cluster members from the field., Comment: submitted to ApJ

This is the second paper in our series about the search for multiple populations in Magellanic Cloud star clusters using the Hubble Space Telescope. Here we report the detection of multiple stellar populations in the colour-magnitude diagrams of the intermediate-age clusters Lindsay 1, NGC 416 and NGC 339. With ages between 6.0 and 7.5 Gyr, these clusters are the youngest ones in which chemical abundance spreads have been detected so far. This confirms that the appearance of multiple populations is not restricted to only ancient globular clusters, but may also be a common feature in clusters as young as 6 Gyr. Our results are in agreement with a recent spectroscopic study of Lindsay 1. We found that the fraction of enriched stars in NGC 416 is ~45% whereas it is ~25% in NGC 339 and ~36% in Lindsay 1. Similar to NGC 121, these fractions are lower than the average value for globular clusters in the Milky Way., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Context: Trumpler 23 is a moderately populated, intermediate-age open cluster within the solar circle at a Rgc ~6 kpc. It is in a crowded field very close to the Galactic plane and the color-magnitude diagram shows significant field contamination and possible differential reddening; it is a relatively understudied cluster for these reasons, but its location makes it a key object for determining Galactic abundance distributions. Aims: New data from the Gaia-ESO Survey enable the first ever radial velocity and spectroscopic metallicity measurements for this cluster. We aim to use velocities to isolate cluster members, providing more leverage for determining cluster parameters. Methods: Gaia-ESO Survey data for 167 potential members have yielded radial velocity measurements, which were used to determine the systemic velocity of the cluster and membership of individual stars. Atmospheric parameters were also used as a check on membership when available. Literature photometry was used to re-determine cluster parameters based on radial velocity member stars only; theoretical isochrones are fit in the V, V-I diagram. Cluster abundance measurements of ten radial-velocity member stars with high-resolution spectroscopy are presented for 24 elements. These abundances have been compared to local disk stars, and where possible placed within the context of literature gradient studies. Results: We find Trumpler 23 to have an age of 0.80 +/- 0.10 Gyr, significant differential reddening with an estimated mean cluster E(V-I) of 1.02 +0.14/-0.09, and an apparent distance modulus of 14.15 +/- 0.20. We find an average cluster metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.14 +/- 0.03 dex, a solar [alpha/Fe] abundance, and notably subsolar [s-process/Fe] abundances., Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Ground-based imagers at 8m class telescopes assisted by Multi conjugate Adaptive Optics are primary facilities to obtain accurate photometry and proper motions in dense stellar fields. We observed the central region of the globular clusters Liller 1 and NGC 6624 with the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) feeding the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI) currently available at the Gemini South telescope, under different observing conditions. We characterized the stellar Point Spread Function (PSF) in terms of Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), Strehl Ratio (SR) and Encircled Energy (EE), over the field of view. We found that, for sub-arcsec seeing at the observed airmass, diffraction limit PSF FWHM ($\approx$ 80 mas), SR $\sim40\%$ and EE $\ge50\%$ with a dispersion around $10\%$ over the 85" x 85" field of view, can be obtained in the $K_s$ band. In the $J$ band the best images provide FWHMs between 60 and 80 mas, SR $>10\%$ and EE $>40\%$. For seeing at the observed airmass exceeding 1", the performance worsen but it is still possible to perform PSF fitting photometry with $25\%$ EE in $J$ and $40\%$ in $K_s$. We also computed the geometric distortions of GeMS/GSAOI and we obtained corrected images with an astrometric accuracy of $\sim$1 mas in a stellar field with high crowding., Comment: 32 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ

We used ultra-deep $J$ and $K_s$ images secured with the near-infrared GSAOI camera assisted by the multi-conjugate adaptive optics system GeMS at the GEMINI South Telescope in Chile, to obtain a ($K_s$, $J-K_s$) color-magnitude diagram (CMD) for the bulge globular cluster NGC 6624. We obtained the deepest and most accurate near-infrared CMD from the ground for this cluster, by reaching $K_s$ $\sim$ 21.5, approximately 8 magnitudes below the horizontal branch level. The entire extension of the Main Sequence (MS) is nicely sampled and at $K_s$ $\sim$ 20 we detected the so-called MS "knee" in a purely near-infrared CMD. By taking advantage of the exquisite quality of the data, we estimated the absolute age of NGC 6624 ($t_{age}$ = 12.0 $\pm$ 0.5 Gyr), which turns out to be in good agreement with previous studies in the literature. We also analyzed the luminosity and mass functions of MS stars down to M $\sim$ 0.45 M$_{\odot}$ finding evidence of a significant increase of low-mass stars at increasing distances from the cluster center. This is a clear signature of mass segregation, confirming that NGC 6624 is in an advanced stage of dynamical evolution., Comment: Accepted for publication by ApJ. 39 pages, 19 figures, 1 table

We started a photometric survey using the WFC3/UVIS instrument onboard the Hubble Space Telescope to search for multiple populations within Magellanic Cloud star clusters at various ages. In this paper, we introduce this survey. As first results of this programme, we also present multi-band photometric observations of NGC 121 in different filters taken with the WFC3/UVIS and ACS/WFC instruments. We analyze the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) of NGC 121, which is the only "classical" globular cluster within the Small Magellanic Cloud. Thereby, we use the pseudo-colour C_(F336W,F438W,F343N)=(F336W-F438W)-(F438W-F343N) to separate populations with different C and N abundances. We show that the red giant branch splits up in two distinct populations when using this colour combination. NGC 121 thus appears to be similar to Galactic globular clusters in hosting multiple populations. The fraction of enriched stars (N rich, C poor) in NGC 121 is about 32% +/- 3%, which is lower than the median fraction found in Milky Way globular clusters. The enriched population seems to be more centrally concentrated compared to the primordial one. These results are consistent with the recent results by Dalessandro et al. (2016). The morphology of the Horizontal Branch in a CMD using the optical filters F555W and F814W is best produced by a population with a spread in Helium of Delta(Y) =0.025+/-0.005., Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The nature of the metallicity gradient inside the solar circle (R_GC < 8 kpc) is poorly understood, but studies of Cepheids and a small sample of open clusters suggest that it steepens in the inner disk. We investigate the metallicity gradient of the inner disk using a sample of inner disk open clusters that is three times larger than has previously been studied in the literature to better characterize the gradient in this part of the disk. We used the Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) [Fe/H] values and stellar parameters for stars in 12 open clusters in the inner disk from GES-UVES data. Cluster mean [Fe/H] values were determined based on a membership analysis for each cluster. Where necessary, distances and ages to clusters were determined via comparison to theoretical isochrones. The GES open clusters exhibit a radial metallicity gradient of -0.10+-0.02 dex/kpc, consistent with the gradient measured by other literature studies of field red giant stars and open clusters in the range R_GC ~ 6-12 kpc. We also measure a trend of increasing [Fe/H] with increasing cluster age, as has also been found in the literature. We find no evidence for a steepening of the inner disk metallicity gradient inside the solar circle as earlier studies indicated. The age-metallicity relation shown by the clusters is consistent with that predicted by chemical evolution models that include the effects of radial migration, but a more detailed comparison between cluster observations and models would be premature., Comment: Accepted to A&A; 9 pages, 5 figures; Full Table 2 in source

We report the discovery of two Li-rich giants, with A(Li) ~ 1.50, in an analysis of a sample of 40 giants of the open cluster Trumpler 20 (with turnoff mass ~ 1.8 Msun). The cluster was observed in the context of the Gaia-ESO Survey. The atmospheric parameters and Li abundances were derived using high-resolution UVES spectra. The Li abundances were corrected for nonlocal thermodynamical equilibrium (non-LTE) effects. Only upper limits of the Li abundance could be determined for the majority of the sample. Two giants with detected Li turned out to be Li rich: star MG 340 has A(Li) non-LTE = 1.54 \pm 0.21 dex and star MG 591 has A(Li) non-LTE = 1.60 \pm 0.21 dex. Star MG 340 is on average ~ 0.30 dex more rich in Li than stars of similar temperature, while for star MG 591 this difference is on average ~ 0.80 dex. Carbon and nitrogen abundances indicate that all stars in the sample have completed the first dredge-up. The Li abundances in this unique sample of 40 giants in one open cluster clearly show that extra mixing is the norm in this mass range. Giants with Li abundances in agreement with the predictions of standard models are the exception. To explain the two Li-rich giants, we suggest that all events of extra mixing have been inhibited. This includes rotation-induced mixing during the main sequence and the extra mixing at the red giant branch luminosity bump. Such inhibition has been suggested in the literature to occur because of fossil magnetic fields in red giants that are descendants of main-sequence Ap-type stars., Comment: A&A accepted, 8 pages, 5 figures

Dynamical interactions in binary systems are thought to play a major role in the formation of extreme horizontal branch stars (EHBs) in the Galactic field. However, it is still unclear if the same mechanisms are at work in globular clusters, where EHBs are predominantly single stars. Here we report on the discovery of a unique close binary system (period ~1.61 days) in the globular cluster NGC6752, comprising an EHB and a main-sequence companion of 0.63+-0.05 Msun. Such a system has no counterpart among nearly two hundred known EHB binaries in the Galactic field. Its discovery suggests that either field studies are incomplete, missing this type of systems possibly because of selection effects, or that a particular EHB formation mechanism is active in clusters but not in the field.

The tidal disruption of the Sagittarius dwarf Spheroidal galaxy (Sgr dSph) is producing the most prominent substructure in the Milky Way (MW) halo, the Sagittarius Stream. Aside from field stars, the Sgr dSph is suspected to have lost a number of globular clusters (GC). Many Galactic GC are suspected to have originated in the Sgr dSph. While for some candidates an origin in the Sgr dSph has been confirmed due to chemical similarities, others exist whose chemical composition has never been investigated. NGC 5053 and NGC 5634 are two among these scarcely studied Sgr dSph candidate-member clusters. To characterize their composition we analyzed one giant star in NGC 5053, and two in NGC 5634. We analize high-resolution and signal-to-noise spectra by means of the MyGIsFOS code, determining atmospheric parameters and abundances for up to 21 species between O and Eu. The abundances are compared with those of MW halo field stars, of "unassociated" MW halo globulars, and of the metal poor Sgr dSph main body population. We derive a metallicity of [FeII/H]=-2.26+-0.10 for NGC 5053, and of [FeI/H]=-1.99+-0.075 and -1.97+-0.076 for the two stars in NGC 5634. This makes NGC 5053 one of the most metal poor globular clusters in the MW. Both clusters display an alpha enhancement similar to the one of the halo at comparable metallicity. The two stars in NGC 5634 clearly display the Na-O anticorrelation widespread among MW globulars. Most other abundances are in good agreement with standard MW halo trends. The chemistry of the Sgr dSph main body populations is similar to the one of the halo at low metallicity. It is thus difficult to discriminate between an origin of NGC 5053 and NGC 5634 in the Sgr dSph, and one in the MW. However, the abundances of these clusters do appear closer to that of Sgr dSph than of the halo, favoring an origin in the Sgr dSph system., Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&A - Replaced with final version after language editing and slight reformatting of figures on editor request

By exploiting the exceptional high-resolution capabilities of the near-IR camera GSAOI combined with the multi-conjugate adaptive optics system GeMS at the GEMINI South Telescope, we investigated the structural and physical properties of the heavily obscured globular cluster Liller 1 in the Galactic bulge. We have obtained the deepest and most accurate color-magnitude diagram published so far for this cluster, reaching Ks ~ 19 (below the main sequence turn-off level). We used these data to re-determine the center of gravity of the system, finding that it is located about 2.2" south-east from the literature value. We also built new star density and surface brightness profiles for the cluster, and re-derived its main structural and physical parameters (scale radii, concentration parameter, central mass density, total mass). We find that Liller 1 is significantly less concentrated (concentration parameter c=1.74) and less extended (tidal radius r_t=298" and core radius r_c=5.39") than previously thought. By using these newly determined structural parameters we estimated the mass of Liller 1 M_tot = 2.3 x 10^6 Msun (Mtot = 1.5 x 10^6 Msun for a Kroupa IMF), which is comparable to that of the most massive clusters in the Galaxy (omega Centauri and Terzan 5). Also Liller 1 has the second highest collision rate (after Terzan 5) among all star clusters in the Galaxy, thus confirming that it is an ideal environment for the formation of collisional objects (such as millisecond pulsars)., Comment: Accepted for publication by ApJ. 32 pages, 8 figures, 1 table

We present the abundance analysis for a sample of 7 red giant branch stars in the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 4372 based on UVES spectra acquired as part of the Gaia-ESO Survey. This is the first extensive study of this cluster from high resolution spectroscopy. We derive abundances of O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, Fe, Cr, Ni, Y, Ba, and La. We find a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -2.19 $\pm$ 0.03 and find no evidence for a metallicity spread. This metallicity makes NGC 4372 one of the most metal-poor galactic globular clusters. We also find an {\alpha}-enhancement typical of halo globular clusters at this metallicity. Significant spreads are observed in the abundances of light elements. In particular we find a Na-O anti-correlation. Abundances of O are relatively high compared with other globular clusters. This could indicate that NGC 4372 was formed in an environment with high O for its metallicity. A Mg-Al spread is also present which spans a range of more than 0.5 dex in Al abundances. Na is correlated with Al and Mg abundances at a lower significance level. This pattern suggests that the Mg-Al burning cycle is active. This behavior can also be seen in giant stars of other massive, metal-poor clusters. A relation between light and heavy s-process elements has been identified., Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

We obtained spectra of red giants in 15 Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) clusters in the region of the CaII lines with FORS2 on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We determined the mean metallicity and radial velocity with mean errors of 0.05 dex and 2.6 km/s, respectively, from a mean of 6.5 members per cluster. One cluster (B113) was too young for a reliable metallicity determination and was excluded from the sample. We combined the sample studied here with 15 clusters previously studied by us using the same technique, and with 7 clusters whose metallicities determined by other authors are on a scale similar to ours. This compilation of 36 clusters is the largest SMC cluster sample currently available with accurate and homogeneously determined metallicities. We found a high probability that the metallicity distribution is bimodal, with potential peaks at -1.1 and -0.8 dex. Our data show no strong evidence of a metallicity gradient in the SMC clusters, somewhat at odds with recent evidence from CaT spectra of a large sample of field stars Dobbie et al. (2014). This may be revealing possible differences in the chemical history of clusters and field stars. Our clusters show a significant dispersion of metallicities, whatever age is considered, which could be reflecting the lack of a unique AMR in this galaxy. None of the chemical evolution models currently available in the literature satisfactorily represents the global chemical enrichment processes of SMC clusters., Comment: 49 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ

The Gaia-ESO Survey is obtaining high-quality spectroscopic data for about 10^5 stars using FLAMES at the VLT. UVES high-resolution spectra are being collected for about 5000 FGK-type stars. These UVES spectra are analyzed in parallel by several state-of-the-art methodologies. Our aim is to present how these analyses were implemented, to discuss their results, and to describe how a final recommended parameter scale is defined. We also discuss the precision (method-to-method dispersion) and accuracy (biases with respect to the reference values) of the final parameters. These results are part of the Gaia-ESO 2nd internal release and will be part of its 1st public release of advanced data products. The final parameter scale is tied to the one defined by the Gaia benchmark stars, a set of stars with fundamental atmospheric parameters. A set of open and globular clusters is used to evaluate the physical soundness of the results. Each methodology is judged against the benchmark stars to define weights in three different regions of the parameter space. The final recommended results are the weighted-medians of those from the individual methods. The recommended results successfully reproduce the benchmark stars atmospheric parameters and the expected Teff-log g relation of the calibrating clusters. Atmospheric parameters and abundances have been determined for 1301 FGK-type stars observed with UVES. The median of the method-to-method dispersion of the atmospheric parameters is 55 K for Teff, 0.13 dex for log g, and 0.07 dex for [Fe/H]. Systematic biases are estimated to be between 50-100 K for Teff, 0.10-0.25 dex for log g, and 0.05-0.10 dex for [Fe/H]. Abundances for 24 elements were derived: C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Mo, Ba, Nd, and Eu. The typical method-to-method dispersion of the abundances varies between 0.10 and 0.20 dex., Comment: 39 pages, A&A accepted

Chemically inhomogeneous populations are observed in most globular clusters, but not in open clusters. Cluster mass seems to play a key role in the existence of multiple populations. Studying the chemical homogeneity of the most massive open clusters is necessary to better understand the mechanism of their formation and determine the mass limit under which clusters cannot host multiple populations. Here we studied NGC6705, that is a young and massive open cluster located towards the inner region of the Milky Way. This cluster is located inside the solar circle. This makes it an important tracer of the inner disk abundance gradient. This study makes use of BVI and ri photometry and comparisons with theoretical isochrones to derive the age of NGC6705. We study the density profile of the cluster and the mass function to infer the cluster mass. Based on abundances of the chemical elements distributed in the first internal data release of the Gaia-ESO Survey, we study elemental ratios and the chemical homogeneity of the red clump stars. Radial velocities enable us to study the rotation and internal kinematics of the cluster. The estimated ages range from 250 to 316Myr, depending on the adopted stellar model. Luminosity profiles and mass functions show strong signs of mass segregation. We derive the mass of the cluster from its luminosity function and from the kinematics, finding values between 3700 M$_{\odot}$ and 11 000 M$_{\odot}$. After selecting the cluster members from their radial velocities, we obtain a metallicity of [Fe/H]=0.10$\pm$0.06 based on 21 candidate members. Moreover, NGC6705 shows no sign of the typical correlations or anti-correlations between Al, Mg, Si, and Na, that are expected in multiple populations. This is consistent with our cluster mass estimate, which is lower than the required mass limit proposed in literature to develop multiple populations.

VISTA Variables in the V\'ia L\'actea (VVV) is one of six ESO Public Surveys using the 4 meter Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA). The VVV survey covers the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the disk, and one of the principal objectives is to search for new star clusters within previously unreachable obscured parts of the Galaxy. The primary motivation behind this work is to discover and analyze obscured star clusters in the direction of the inner Galactic disk and bulge. Regions of the inner disk and bulge covered by the VVV survey were visually inspected using composite JHKs color images to select new cluster candidates on the basis of apparent overdensities. DR1, DR2, CASU, and PSF photometry of 10x10 arcmin fields centered on each candidate cluster were used to construct color-magnitude and color-color diagrams. Follow-up spectroscopy of the brightest members of several cluster candidates was obtained in order to clarify their nature. We report the discovery of 58 new infrared cluster candidates. Fundamental parameters such as age, distance, and metallicity were determined for 20 of the most populous clusters., Comment: 23 pages, 20 figures and 3 tables

The analysis of multiple populations (MPs) in globular clusters (GCs) has become a forefront area of research in astronomy. Multiple red giant branches (RGBs), subgiant branches (SGBs), and even main sequences (MSs) have now been observed photometrically in many GCs. UV photometry has been crucial in discovering and analyzing these MPs, but the Johnson U and the Stromgren and Sloan u filters that have generally been used are relatively inefficient and very sensitive to reddening and atmospheric extinction. In contrast, the Washington C filter is much broader and redder than these competing UV filters. Here we investigate the use of the Washington system to uncover MPs using only a 1-meter telescope. Our analysis of the well-studied GC NGC 1851 finds that the C filter is both very efficient and effective at detecting its previously discovered MPs in the RGB and SGB. Remarkably, we have also detected an intrinsically broad MS best characterized by two distinct but heavily overlapping populations that cannot be explained by binaries, field stars, or photometric errors. The MS distribution is in very good agreement with that seen on the RGB, with ~30% of the stars belonging to the second population. There is also evidence for two sequences in the red horizontal branch, but this appears to be unrelated to the MPs in this cluster. Neither of these latter phenomena have been observed previously in this cluster. The redder MS stars are also more centrally concentrated than the blue MS. This is the first time MPs in a MS have been discovered from the ground, and using only a 1-meter telescope. The Washington system thus proves to be a very powerful tool for investigating MPs, and holds particular promise for extragalactic objects where photons are limited., Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures

We present CMDs in the V and I bands for fifteen star clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) based on data taken with the Very Large Telescope (VLT, Chile). We selected these clusters from our previous work, wherein we derived cluster radial velocities and metallicities from Calcium II infrared triplet (CaT) spectra also taken with the VLT. We discovered that the ages of six of our clusters have been appreciably underestimated by previous studies, which used comparatively small telescopes, graphically illustrating the need for large apertures to obtain reliable ages of old and intermediate-age SMC star clusters. In particular, three of these clusters, L4, L6 and L110, turn out to be amongst the oldest SMC clusters known, with ages of 7.9 +- 1.1, 8.7 +- 1.2 and 7.6 +- 1.0 Gyr, respectively, helping to fill a possible "SMC cluster age gap" (Glatt et al. 2008). Using the present ages and metallicities from Parisi et al. (2009), we analyze the age distribution, age gradient and age metallicity relation (AMR) of a sample of SMC clusters measured homogeneously. There is a suggestion of bimodality in the age distribution but it does not show a constant slope for the first 4 Gyr (Piatti 2011), and we find no evidence for an age gradient. Due to the improved ages of our cluster sample, we find that our AMR is now better represented in the intermediate/old period than that we derived in Parisi et al. (2009), where we simply took ages available in the literature. Additionally, clusters younger than aprox. 4 Gyr now show better agreement with the bursting model, but we confirm that this model is not a good representation of the AMR during the intermediate-age/old period. A more complicated model is needed to explain the SMC chemical evolution in that period., Comment: 76 pages, 32 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ

We present new Stromgren and Washington data sets for the Bootes I dwarf galaxy, and combine them with the available SDSS photometry. The goal of this project is to refine a ground-based, practical, accurate method to determine age and metallicity for individual stars in Bootes I that can be selected in an unbiased imaging survey, without having to take spectra. We produce photometric metallicities from Stromgren and Washington photometry, for stellar systems with a range of $-1.0>[Fe/H]>-3.5$. To avoid the decrease in sensitivity of the Stromgren metallicity index on the lower red-giant branch, we replace the Stromgren v-filter with the broader Washington C-filter; we find that $CT_1by$ is the most successful filter combination, for individual stars with $[Fe/H]<-2.0$, to maintain ~0.2 dex $[Fe/H]$-resolution over the whole red-giant branch. We demonstrate that we can break the isochrones' age-metallicity degeneracy with these filters, using stars with log g=2.5-3.0, which have less than a 2% change in their $(C-T_1)$-colour due to age, over a range of 11-14 Gyr., Comment: 24 pages, 18 figures, accepted by MNRAS

Context. [...] One of the most efficient methods is the measurement of the equivalent width (EW) of the Calcium II Triplet (CaT), corrected for the luminosity and temperature effects via magnitude differences from the horizontal branch (HB). Methods. We use the Ks magnitude difference between the star and the reddest part of the HB (RHB) to generate reduced equivalent widths (rEW) from the datasets presented in Saviane et al. (2012) and Rutledge et al. (1997). Subsequently we calibrated these rEW against three different metellicity (met) scales: the one presented in Carretta et al. (2009), the met values given in Harris (2010) and a version of the former corrected via high-resolution spectroscopic met. Results. We calculated the calibration relations for the two datasets and the three met scales and found that they are approximately equivalent, with differences almost negligible. We compared our nIR calibrations with the corresponding optical ones, and found them to be equivalent, establishing that the luminosity-corrected rEW using the Ks magnitude is compatible with the one obtained from the V magnitude. We then used the met obtained from the calibration to investigate the internal met distributions of the GCs. Conclusions. We have established that the ([Fe/H]:rEW) relation is independent from the mag used for the luminosity correction and find that the calibration relations only change slightly for different met scales. The CaT technique using NIR photometry is thus a powerful tool to derive met. In particular, it can be used to study the internal met spread of a GC. We confirm the presence of at least two met populations in NGC 6656 and find that several other GCs present peculiar met distributions., Comment: 41 pages, 8 tables, 42 figures A&A: recommended publication after revision

Trumpler 20 is an old open cluster (OC) located toward the Galactic centre, at about 3 kpc from the Sun and $\sim$7 kpc from the Galactic centre. Its position makes this cluster particularly interesting in the framework of the chemical properties of the Galactic disc because very few old OCs reside in the inner part of the disc. For this reason it has been selected as a cluster target of the Gaia-ESO Survey, and spectra of many stars in the main sequence and red clump phases are now available. Moreover, although it has been studied by several authors in the past, no consensus on the evolutionary status of Tr 20 has been reached. The heavy contamination of field stars (the line of sight of Tr 20 crosses the Carina spiral arm) complicates a correct interpretation. Another interesting aspect of the cluster is that it shows a broadened main-sequence turn-off and a prominent and extended red-clump, characteristics that are not easily explained by classical evolutionary models. Exploiting both spectroscopic information from the Gaia-ESO Survey (and the ESO archive) and literature photometry, we obtain a detailed and accurate analysis of the properties of the cluster. We make use of the first accurate metallicity measurement ever obtained from several spectra of red clump stars, and of cluster membership determination using radial velocities. According to the evolutionary models adopted, we find that Tr 20 has an age in the range 1.35-1.66 Gyr, an average reddening $E(B-V)$ in the range 0.31-0.35 mag, and a distance modulus $(m-M)_0$ between 12.64 and 12.72 mag. The spectroscopic metallicity is [Fe/H]=+0.17 dex. We discuss the structural properties of the object and constrain possible hypotheses for its broadened upper main sequence by estimating the effect of differential reddening and its extended red clump., Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures - Accepted on 9 Dec. 2013 Reference list updated and minor corrections added to the text

Recent investigations revealed very peculiar properties of blue horizontal branch (HB) stars in \omega Centauri, which show anomalously low surface gravity and mass compared to other clusters and to theoretical models. \omega Centauri, however, is a very unusual object, hosting a complex mix of multiple stellar populations with different metallicity and chemical abundances. We measured the fundamental parameters (temperature, gravity, and surface helium abundance) of a sample of 71 blue HB stars in M22, with the aim of clarifying if the peculiar results found in \omega Cen are unique to this cluster. M22 also hosts multiple sub-populations of stars with a spread in metallicity, analogous to \omega Cen. The stellar parameters were measured on low-resolution spectra fitting the Balmer and helium lines with a grid of synthetic spectra. From these parameters, the mass and reddening were estimated. Our results on the gravities and masses agree well with theoretical expectations, matching the previous measurements in three "normal" clusters. The anomalies found in \omega Cen are not observed among our stars. A mild mass underestimate is found for stars hotter than 14\,000 K, but an exact analogy with \omega Cen cannot be drawn. We measured the reddening in the direction of M22 with two independent methods, finding E(B-V)=0.35 \pm 0.02 mag, with semi-amplitude of the maximum variation \Delta(E(B-V))=0.06 mag, and an rms intrinsic dispersion of \sigma(E(B-V))=0.03 mag., Comment: 11 pages, 9 Postscript figures

Cepheids are key to establishing the cosmic distance scale. Therefore it's important to assess the viability of QZ Nor, V340 Nor, and GU Nor as calibrators for Leavitt's law via their purported membership in the open cluster NGC 6067. The following suite of evidence confirms that QZ Nor and V340 Nor are members of NGC 6067, whereas GU Nor likely lies in the foreground: (i) existing radial velocities for QZ Nor and V340 Nor agree with that established for the cluster (-39.4+-1.2 km/s) to within 1 km/s, whereas GU Nor exhibits a markedly smaller value; (ii) a steep velocity-distance gradient characterizes the sight-line toward NGC 6067, thus implying that objects sharing common velocities are nearly equidistant; (iii) a radial profile constructed for NGC 6067 indicates that QZ Nor is within the cluster bounds, despite being 20' from the cluster center; (iv) new BVJH photometry for NGC 6067 confirms the cluster lies d=1.75+-0.10 kpc distant, a result that matches Wesenheit distances computed for QZ Nor/V340 Nor using the Benedict et al. (2007, HST parallaxes) calibration. QZ Nor is a cluster Cepheid that should be employed as a calibrator for the cosmic distance scale., Comment: To appear in ApSS

NGC3201 is a globular cluster (GC) which shows very peculiar kinematic characteristics including an extreme radial velocity and a highly retrograde orbit, strongly suggesting an extraGalactic origin. Our aims are to study NGC3201 in the context of multiple populations (MPs), hoping to constrain possible candidates for the self-enrichment by studying the chemical abundance pattern, as well as adding insight into the origin of this intriguing cluster. We present a detailed chemical abundance analysis of eight red giant branch (RGB) stars using high resolution spectroscopy. We measured 29 elements and found [Fe/H]=-1.53+/-0.01, we cannot rule out a metallicity spread of ~0.12 dex, and an alpha-enhancement typical of halo GCs. However significant spreads are observed in the abundances of all light elements except for Mg. We confirm the presence of an extended Na-O anticorrelation. n-capture elements generally are dominated by the r-process, in good agreement with the bulk of Galactic GCs. The total (C+N+O) abundance is slightly supersolar and requires a small downward correction to the isochrone age, yielding 11.4 Gyr. Kinematically, NGC3201 appears likely to have had an extraGalactic origin but its chemical evolution is similar to most other, presumably native, Galactic GCs., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Context: The ESO Public Survey "VISTA Variables in the V\'ia L\'actea" (VVV) provides deep multi-epoch infrared observations for an unprecedented 562 sq. degrees of the Galactic bulge, and adjacent regions of the disk. In this survey nearly 150 new open clusters and cluster candidates have been discovered. Aims: This is the second in a series of papers about young, massive open clusters observed using the VVV survey. We present the first study of six recently discovered clusters. These clusters contain at least one newly discovered Wolf-Rayet (WR) star. Methods: Following the methodology presented in the first paper of the series, wide-field, deep JHKs VVV observations, combined with new infrared spectroscopy, are employed to constrain fundamental parameters for a subset of clusters. Results: We affirm that the six studied stellar groups are real young (2-7 Myr) and massive (between 0.8 and 2.2 10^3 Msol) clusters. They are highly obscured (Av ~ 5-24 mag) and compact (1-2 pc). In addition to WR stars, two of the six clusters also contain at least one red supergiant star. We claim the discovery of 8 new WR stars, and 3 stars showing WR-like emission lines which could be classified WR or OIf. Preliminary analysis provides initial masses of ~30-50 Msol for the WR stars. Finally,we discuss the spiral structure of the Galaxy using as tracers the six new clusters together with the previously studied VVV clusters., Comment: 17 pages, 8 figurs, accepted in A&A