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We identified a sample of 58 candidate stars with metallicity [Fe/H] ≲ −0.8 that likely belong to the old bulge spheroid stellar population, and analyse their Na and Al abundances from Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) spectra. In a previous work, we inspected APOGEE-Stellar Parameter and Chemical Abundance Pipeline abundances of C, N, O, Mg, Al, Ca, Si, and Ce in this sample. Regarding Na lines, one of them appears very strong in about 20 per cent of the sample stars, but it is not confirmed by other Na lines, and can be explained by sky lines, which affect the reduced spectra of stars in a certain radial velocity range. The Na abundances for 15 more reliable cases were taken into account. Al lines in the H band instead appear to be very reliable. Na and Al exhibit a spread in abundances, whereas no spread in N abundances is found, and we found no correlation between them, indicating that these stars could not be identified as second-generation stars that originated in globular clusters. We carry out the study of the behaviour of Na and Al in our sample of bulge stars and literature data by comparing them with chemodynamical evolution model suitable for the Galactic bulge. The Na abundances show a large spread, and the chemodynamical models follow the main data, whereas for aluminum instead, the models reproduce very satisfactorily the nearly secondary-element behaviour of aluminum in the metallicity range below [Fe/H] ≲ −1.0. For the lower-metallicity end ([Fe/H < −2.5), hypernovae are assumed to be the main contributor to yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NGC 362 is a non-common Type II Galactic globular cluster, showing a complex pseudo two-colour diagram or 'chromosome map'. The clear separation of its stellar populations in the colour–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 eff, log(g), and vt 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 ± 0.02, [Fe/H]2 = −1.09 ± 0.01, and [Fe/H]3 = −1.10 ± 0.01, while the internal dispersion turned out to be |$\sigma _{[\text{Fe/H}]_1}$|  = 0.06 ± 0.01, |$\sigma _{[\text{Fe/H}]_2}$|  = 0.03 ± 0.01, and |$\sigma _{[\text{Fe/H}]_3}$|  = 0.05 ± 0.01, 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the inner regions of the Milky Way using data from APOGEE and Gaia EDR3. Our inner Galactic sample has more than 26 500 stars within |XGal|< 5 kpc, |YGal|< 3.5 kpc, |ZGal|< 1 kpc, and we also carry out the analysis for a foreground-cleaned subsample of 8000 stars that is more representative of the bulge–bar populations. These samples allow us to build chemo-dynamical maps of the stellar populations with vastly improved detail. The inner Galaxy shows an apparent chemical bimodality in key abundance ratios [α/Fe], [C/N], and [Mn/O], which probe different enrichment timescales, suggesting a star formation gap (quenching) between the high- and low-α populations. Using a joint analysis of the distributions of kinematics, metallicities, mean orbital radius, and chemical abundances, we can characterize the different populations coexisting in the innermost regions of the Galaxy for the first time. The chemo-kinematic data dissected on an eccentricity–|Z|max plane reveal the chemical and kinematic signatures of the bar, the thin inner disc, and an inner thick disc, and a broad metallicity population with large velocity dispersion indicative of a pressure-supported component. The interplay between these different populations is mapped onto the different metallicity distributions seen in the eccentricity–|Z|max diagram consistently with the mean orbital radius and Vϕ distributions. A clear metallicity gradient as a function of |Z|max is also found, which is consistent with the spatial overlapping of different populations. Additionally, we find and chemically and kinematically characterize a group of counter-rotating stars that could be the result of a gas-rich merger event or just the result of clumpy star formation during the earliest phases of the early disc that migrated into the bulge. Finally, based on 6D information, we assign stars a probability value of being on a bar orbit and find that most of the stars with large bar orbit probabilities come from the innermost 3 kpc, with a broad dispersion of metallicity. Even stars with a high probability of belonging to the bar show chemical bimodality in the [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H] diagram. This suggests bar trapping to be an efficient mechanism, explaining why stars on bar orbits do not show a significant, distinct chemical abundance ratio signature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globular Clusters (GCs) are now well known to almost universally show multiple populations (MPs). The HST UV Legacy Survey of a large number of Galactic GCs in UV filters optimized to explore MPs finds that a small fraction of GCs, termed Type II, also display more complex, anomalous behaviour. Several well-studied Type II GCs show intrinsic Fe abundance variations, suggesting that the other, less well-studied, Type II GCs should also exhibit similar behaviour. Our aim is to perform the first detailed metallicity analysis of NGC 1261, an intermediate mass Type II GC, in order to determine if this object shows an intrinsic Fe variation. We determined the Fe abundance in eight red giant members using Magellan-MIKE and UVES-FLAMES high-resolution, high S/N spectroscopy. The full range of [Fe/H] for the entire sample from the spectra is from −1.05 to −1.43 dex with an observed spread σobs = 0.133 dex. Compared with the total internal error of σtot = 0.06, this indicates a significant intrinsic metallicity spread of σint = 0.119 dex. We found a very similar variation in [Fe/H] using an independent method to derive the atmospheric parameters based on near-IR photometry. More importantly, the mean metallicity of the five presumed normal metallicity stars is −1.37 ± 0.02, while that of the three presumed anomalous/high metallicity stars is −1.18 ± 0.09. This difference is significant at the ∼2.4σ level. We find indications from existing data of other Type II GCs that several of them presumed to have real metallicity spreads may in fact possess none. The minimum mass required for a GC to acquire an intrinsic Fe spread appears to be ∼105 M ⊙. We find no strong correlation between mass and metallicity variation for Type II GCs. The metallicity spread is also independent of the fraction of anomalous stars within the Type II GCs and of GC origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second phase of the APOGEE survey is providing near-infrared (near-IR), high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra of stars in the halo, disc, bar, and bulge of the Milky Way. The near-IR spectral window is especially important in the study of the Galactic bulge, where stars are obscured by the dust and gas of the disc in its line of sight. We present a chemical characterization of the globular cluster NGC 6544 with high-resolution spectroscopy. The characterization of the cluster chemical fingerprint, given its status of 'interloper' towards the Galactic bulge and clear signatures of tidal disruption in its core is crucial for future chemical tagging efforts. Cluster members were selected from the DR16 of the APOGEE survey, using chemodynamical criteria of individual stars. A sample of 23 members of the cluster was selected. An analysis considering the intracluster abundance variations, known as anticorrelations is given. According to the red giant branch (RGB) content of the cluster, the iron content and α-enhancement are [Fe/H] = −1.44 ± 0.04 dex and [α/Fe] = 0.20 ± 0.04 dex, respectively. Cluster members show a significant spread in [Fe/H] and [Al/Fe] that is larger than expected based on measurement errors. An [Al/Fe] spread, signal of an Mg–Al anticorrelation is observed and used to constrain the cluster mass budget, along with C, N, Mg, Si, K, Ca, and Ce element variations discussed. Across all the analysed evolutionary stages (RGB and asymptotic giant branch), about ∼2/3 (14 out of 23) show distinct chemical patterns, possibly associated with second-generation stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 (T eff, Log(g), v t, [Fe/H]) of these stars from the spectra, and we measured the chemical abundance for 20 elements, including light elements, iron-peak elements, α-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 α-elements Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti, we obtain the mean of [α/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 α, 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 globular clusters (NGC 6440 and NGC 6528). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 (∼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 ∼104 M⊙ and have ages between ∼2.5 and ∼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 three 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an elemental abundance analysis of high-resolution spectra for five giant stars spatially located within the innermost regions of the bulge globular cluster NGC 6522 and derive Fe, Mg, Al, C, N, O, Si, and Ce abundances 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 that NGC 6522 stars are formed from gas enriched by spinstars and indicating that other stellar sources such as massive AGB stars could be the primary polluters of intra-cluster medium. The peculiar abundance signatures of SG stars have been observed in our data, confirming the presence of multiple generations of stars in NGC 6522. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have recently shown that the ~2 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 subgiant and red giant branches (SGB and RGB) when certain photometric filter combinations are used. Because of 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 ultraviolet colour--magnitude diagrams (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 ± 20 Myr between them. This is in tension with predictions from the asymptotic giant branch scenario for the origin of multiple populations. Second, we estimate the broadness of the main-sequence turn-off (MSTO) of NGC 1978 and we report that it is consistent with the observational errors. We find an upper limit of ~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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Galactic globular clusters (GCs) are essential tools for understanding 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 of 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 analysis 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), α-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 ± 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 does it exhibit a Mg-Al anticorrelation. The α-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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the third paper about our ongoing Hubble Space Telescope survey for the search for multiple stellar populations (MPs) within Magellanic Cloud clusters. We report here the analysis of NGC 419, an ~1.5 Gyr old, massive (≳2 × 105 M⊙) 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 ≲+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 four other SMC clusters (NGC 121; Lindsay 1, NGC 339, NGC 416), aged from 6 Gyr up to ~10-11 Gyr. This finding raises the question whether age could play a major role in theMPs 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 (~1-2 × 105 M⊙) and no particular patterns are found when looking at their spatial distribution in the SMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 ± 1.9 km s-1, while the giant cluster members have a median radial velocity of 12.0 ± 0.9 km s-1 and a median [Fe/H] of 0.10 ± 0.02 dex. The color-magnitude diagram of these cluster members suggests an age of 0.9 ± 0.1 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 a, iron-peak, and neutron-capture elements are also explored in a self-consistent way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Gaia-ESO (GES) Survey iDR4 data to explore the Mg-Al anti-correlation in globular clusters that were observed as calibrators, as a demonstration of the quality of Gaia-ESO Survey data and analysis. The results compare well with the available literature, within 0.1 dex or less, after a small (compared to the internal spreads) offset between the UVES and GIRAFFE data of 0.10-0.15 dex was taken into account. In particular, for the first time we present data for NGC 5927, which is one of the most metal-rich globular clusters studied in the literature so far with [ Fe / H ] = - 0.39 ± 0.04 dex; this cluster was included to connect with the open cluster regime in the Gaia-ESO Survey internal calibration. The extent and shape of the Mg-Al anti-correlation provide strong constraints on the multiple population phenomenon in globular clusters. In particular, we studied the dependency of the Mg-Al anti-correlation extension with metallicity, present-day mass, and age of the clusters, using GES data in combination with a large set of homogenized literature measurements. We find a dependency with both metallicity and mass, which is evident when fitting for the two parameters simultaneously, but we do not find significant dependency with age. We confirm that the Mg-Al anti-correlation is not seen in all clusters, but disappears for the less massive or most metal-rich clusters. We also use our data set to see whether a normal anti-correlation would explain the low [Mg/a] observed in some extragalactic globular clusters, but find that none of the clusters in our sample can reproduce it; a more extreme chemical composition, such as that of NGC 2419, would be required. We conclude that GES iDR4 data already meet the requirements set by the main survey goals and can be used to study globular clusters in detail, even if the analysis procedures were not specifically designed for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Low-mass dwarf spheroidal galaxies are key objects for our understanding of the chemical evolution of the pristine Universe and the Local Group of galaxies. Abundance ratios in stars of these objects can be used to better understand their star formation and chemical evolution. Aims. We report on the analysis of a sample of 11 stars belonging to five different ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies (UfDSph) that is based on X-Shooter spectra obtained at the VLT. Methods. Medium-resolution spectra have been used to determine the detailed chemical composition of their atmosphere. We performed a standard 1D LTE analysis to compute the abundances. Results. Considering all the stars as representative of the same population of low-mass galaxies, we found that the [ff/Fe] ratios vs.s [Fe/H] decreases as the metallicity of the star increases in a way similar to that which is found for the population of stars that belong to dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The main difference is that the solar [ff/Fe] is reached at a much lower metallicity for the UfDSph than for the dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We report for the first time the abundance of strontium in CVn II. The star we analyzed in this galaxy has a very high [Sr/Fe] and a very low upper limit of barium which makes it a star with an exceptionally high [Sr/Ba] ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 ± 0.03 and find no evidence of any metallicity spread. This metallicity makes NGC 4372 one of the most metal-poor Galactic globular clusters. We also find an α-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 anticorrelation. 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 that 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. 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, it is suspected that the Sgr dSph has lost a number of globular clusters (GC). Many Galactic GC are thought to have originated in the Sgr dSph. While for some candidates an origin in the Sgr dSph has been confirmed owing to chemical similarities, others exist whose chemical composition has never been investigated. Aims. NGC 5053 and NGC 5634 are two of 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. Methods. We analyze 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. Results. We derive a metallicity of [Fe II/H] = -2:26 ± 0:10 for NGC 5053, and of [Fe I/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 α 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. Conclusions. The chemistry of the Sgr dSph main body populations is similar to that 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. When they are established with sufficient precision, the ages, metallicities and kinematics of Galactic globular clusters (GGCs) can shed much light on the dynamical and chemical evolution of the Galactic halo and bulge.While the most fundamental way of determining GC abundances is by means of high-resolution spectroscopy, in practice this method is limited to only the brighter stars in the nearest and less reddened objects. This restriction has, over the years, led to the development of a large number of techniques that measure the overall abundance indirectly from parameters that correlate with overall metallicity. One of the most efficient methods is measuring the equivalent width (EW) of the calcium II triplet (CaT) at λ ≈ 8500 Å in red giants, which are corrected for the luminosity and temperature effects using the V magnitude differences from the horizontal branch (HB). Aims. We establish a similar method in the near-infrared (NIR), by combining the power of the differential magnitudes technique with the advantages of NIR photometry to minimize differential reddening effects. Methods. We used the Ks magnitude difference between the star and the reddest part of the HB (RHB) or of the red clump (RC) to generate reduced equivalent widths (rEW) from previously presented datasets. Then we calibrated these rEWagainst three previously reported different metallicity scales; one of which we corrected using high-resolution spectroscopic metallicities. Results. We calculated the calibration relations for the two datasets and the three metallicity scales and found that they are approximately equivalent, with almost negligible differences. We compared our NIR calibrations with the corresponding optical ones, and found them to be equivalent, which shows that the luminosity-corrected rEW using the Ks magnitude is compatible with the one obtained from the V magnitude. We then used the metallicities obtained from the calibration to investigate the internal metallicity distributions of the GCs. Conclusions. We have established that the ([Fe/H]:rEW) relation is independent of the magnitude used for the luminosity correction and find that the calibration relations change only slightly for different metallicity scales. The CaT technique using NIR photometry is thus a powerful tool to derive metallicities. In particular, it can be used to study the internal metallicity spread of a GC. We confirm the presence of at least two metallicity populations in NGC6656 and find that several other GCs present peculiar metallicity distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Recent investigations revealed very peculiar properties of blue horizontal branch (HB) stars in ω Centauri, which show anomalously low surface gravity and mass compared to other clusters and to theoretical models. ωCentauri, however, is a very unusual object, hosting a complex mix of multiple stellar populations with different metallicity and chemical abundances. Aims. 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 ωCen are unique to this cluster. M22 also hosts multiple subpopulations of stars with a spread in metallicity, analogous to ωCen. Methods. 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. Results. Our results on the gravities and masses agree well with theoretical expectations, matching the previous measurements in three "normal" clusters. The anomalies found in ωCen are not observed among our stars. A mild mass underestimate is found for stars hotter than 14 000 K, but an exact analogy with ωCen cannot be drawn.We measured the reddening in the direction of M22 with two independent methods, finding E(B - V) = 0.35 ±0.02 mag, with semi-amplitude of the maximum variation Δ(E(B - V)) = 0.06 mag, and an rms intrinsic dispersion of σ(E(B - V)) = 0.03 mag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The study of globular clusters is one of the most powerful ways to learn about a galaxy's chemical evolution and star formation history. They preserve a record of chemical abundances at the time of their formation and are relatively easy to age date. The most detailed knowledge of the chemistry of a star is given by high resolution spectroscopy, which provides accurate abundances for a wide variety of elements, yielding a wealth of information on the various processes involved in the cluster's chemical evolution. Aims. We studied red giant branch (RGB) stars in an old, metal-poor globular cluster of the LargeMagellanic Cloud (LMC), Hodge 11 (H11), in order to measure as many elements as possible. The goal is to compare its chemical trends to those in the Milky Way halo and dwarf spheroidal galaxies in order to help understand the formation history of the LMC and our own Galaxy. Methods. We have obtained high resolution VLT/FLAMES spectra of eight RGB stars in H11. The spectral range allowed us to measure a variety of elements, including Fe, Mg, Ca, Ti, Si, Na, O, Ni, Cr, Sc, Mn, Co, Zn, Ba, La, Eu and Y. Results. We derived a mean [Fe/H] = -2.00 ± 0.04, in the middle of previous determinations. We found low [α/Fe] abundances for our targets, more comparable to values found in dwarf spheroidal galaxies than in the Galactic halo, suggesting that if H11 is representative of its ancient populations then the LMC does not represent a good halo building block. Our [Ca/Fe] value is about 0.3 dex less than that of halo stars used to calibrate the Ca IR triplet technique for deriving metallicity. A hint of a Na abundance spread is observed. Its stars lie at the extreme high O, low Na end of the Na:O anti-correlation displayed by Galactic and LMC globular clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been found that globular clusters host multiple stellar populations. In particular, in NGC 1851 the subgiant branch (SGB) can be divided into two components and the distribution of stars along the horizontal branch (HB) is multimodal. Various authors have found that NGC 1851 possibly has a spread in [Fe/H], but the relation between this spread and the division in the SGB is unknown. We obtained blue (3950-4600 Å) intermediate resolution (R ∼ 8000) spectra for 47 stars on the bright and 30 on the faint SGB of NGC 1851 (b-SGB and f-SGB, respectively). The spectra were analysed by comparing with synthetic spectra. The determination of the atmospheric parameters to extremely high internal accuracy allows small errors to be recovered when comparing different stars in the cluster, in spite of their faintness (V ∼ 19). Abundances were obtained for Fe, C, Ca, Cr, Sr, and Ba. We found that the b-SGB is slightly more metal-poor than the f-SGB, with [Fe/H] = -1.227 ± 0.009 and [Fe/H] = -1.162 ± 0.012, respectively. This implies that the f-SGB is only slightly older by ∼0.6 Gyr than the b-SGB if the total CNO abundance is constant. There are more C-normal stars in the b-SGB than in the f-SGB. This is consistent with what is found for HB stars, if b-SGB are the progenitors of red HB stars, and f-SGB those of blue HB ones. As previously found, the abundances of the n-capture elements Sr and Ba have a bimodal distribution, reflecting the separation between f-SGB (Sr and Ba-rich) and b-SGB stars (Sr and Ba-poor). In both groups, there is a clear correlation between [Sr/Fe] and [Ba/Fe], suggesting that there is a real spread in the abundances of n-capture elements. By looking at the distribution of SGB stars in the [C/H] versus (vs.) Teff diagram and in the [Ba/H] vs. [Sr/H] diagram, not a one-to-one relation is found among these quantities. There is some correlation between C and Ba abundances, while the same correlation for Sr is much more dubious. We identified six C-rich stars, which have a moderate overabundance of Sr and Ba and rather low N abundances. This group of stars might be the progenitors of those on the anomalous RGB in the (v, v - y) diagram. These results are discussed within different scenarios for the formation of NGC 1851. It is possible that the two populations originated in different regions of a inhomogeneous parent object. However, the striking similarity with M 22 calls for a similar evolution for these two clusters. Deriving reliable CNO abundances for the two sequences would be crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The abundance inhomogeneities of light elements observed in globular clusters (GCs), and notably the ubiquitous Na-O anti-correlation, are generally interpreted as evidence that GCs comprise several generations of stars. There is an on-going debate as to the nature of the stars, which produce the inhomogeneous elements, and investigating the behavior of several elements is a way to shed new light on this problem. Aims. We aim at investigating the Li and Na content of the GC M4, that is known to have a well defined Na-O anti-correlation. Methods. We obtained moderate resolution (R = 17000-18 700) spectra for 91 main sequence (MS)/sub-giant branch stars of M4 with the Giraffe spectrograph at the FLAMES/VLT ESO facility. Using model atmospheres analysis we measured lithium and sodium abundances. Results. We detect a weak Li-Na anti-correlation among un-evolved MS stars. One star in the sample, # 37934, shows the remarkably high lithium abundance A(Li) = 2.87, compatible with current estimates of the primordial lithium abundance. Conclusions. The shallow slope found for the Li-Na anti-correlation suggests that lithium is produced in parallel to sodium. This evidence, coupled with its sodium-rich nature, suggests that the high lithium abundance of star # 37934 may originate by pollution from a previous generations of stars. The recent detection of a Li-rich dwarf of pollution origin in the globular cluster NGC6397 may also point in this direction. Still, no clear cut evidence is available against a possible preservation of the primordial lithium abundance for star # 37934. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from a series of projects aimed at better understanding the ages, velocities, metallicities, and distances of populous clusters in the LMC. Using FORS2 on the VLT, we obtained near-infrared spectra for more than 200 stars in 28 LMC clusters, which span a large range of ages and metallicities. The strong absorption lines of the Ca II triplet are used to calculate cluster velocities and abundances. We determine cluster ages through main sequence fitting of theoretical isochrones to deep optical photometry using a combination of published photometry, VLT FORS2 images and archival HST WFPC2 images. As shown by Grocholski & Sarajedini, a cluster's age and [Fe/H] can be used to predict the K-band luminosity of core helium burning red clump (RC) stars in that cluster. Using ISPI on the CTIO 4m telescope, we imaged 17 LMC clusters in the J– and K–bands, with the resulting photometry reaching ∼0.5 mag below the RC. We combine the measured apparent RC magnitudes with the predicted absolute values to determine absolute distances to each of these clusters and thereby probe the structure of the LMC as traced by its intermediate-age clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]