Related papers: CN Variations in High Metallicity Globular and Ope…
We present evidence for the contribution of high-mass globular clusters to the stellar halo of the Galaxy. Using SDSS-II/SEGUE spectra of over 1900 G- and K-type halo giants, we identify for the first time a subset of stars with CN…
The spectroscopic and photometric signals of the star-to-star abundance variations found in globular clusters seem to be correlated with global parameters like the cluster's metallicity, mass and age. Understanding this behaviour could…
Abundance variations in moderately metal-rich globular clusters can give clues about the formation and chemical enrichment of globular clusters. CN, CH, Na, Mg and Al indices in spectra of 89 stars of the template metal-rich globular…
We present the first results of a detailed abundance analysis, based on VLT observations, of giant stars in the very metal-rich globular cluster NGC 6528. We will be able to tie the horizontal branch abundances (see e.g. Carretta et al.…
Globular clusters show abundance variations for light elements that are not yet well understood. The preferred explanation involves a self-enrichment scenario, with two subsequent generations of stars. Observations of main sequence stars…
We present low resolution UV-blue spectroscopic observations of red giant stars in the globular cluster M53 ([Fe/H]=-1.84), obtained to study primordial abundance variations and deep mixing via the CN and CH absorption bands. The…
Context: The total mass of a cluster, being the main parameter determining its ability to host more than one stellar generation, may constitute a threshold below which the cluster is able to form only a single stellar population. AIms: Our…
Globular cluster systems (GCS) frequently show a bi-modal distribution of the cluster integrated colours. This work explores the arguments to support the idea that the same feature is shared by the diffuse stellar population of the galaxy…
It is now clear that abundance variations from star-to-star among the light elements, particularly C, N, O, Na and Al, are ubiquitous within galactic globular clusters; they appear seen whenever data of high quality is obtained for a…
Low resolution SDSS/SEGUE spectra have been used to study the behavior of the strengths of the CN and CH molecular bands in stars at different evolutionary stages of the open cluster NGC 6791. We find a significant spread in the strengths…
We present a homogeneous survey of the CN and CH bandstrengths in eight Galactic globular clusters observed during the course of the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) sub-survey of the SDSS. We confirm the…
The Fornax cluster galaxies NGC 1399 and NGC 1404 are ideal for studying the effects of a cluster environment on globular cluster systems. Here we present new optical imaging of these two galaxies from both the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide…
The red clump stars in the open cluster NGC 752 present a peculiar distribution in the colour-magnitude diagran (CMD): the clump is observed to present a faint extension, slightly to the blue of the main concentration of clump stars. We…
Although globular clusters are generally chemically homogeneous, substantial abundance variations are sometimes seen even among unevolved main sequence stars, especially for the CNO group of elements. Multi-object intermediate-dispersion…
Globular cluster systems exhibit a bewildering variety of characteristics. No single scenario appears to be able to account for the wide range of specific globular cluster frequencies that are observed in galaxies of various types. The…
Variations in chemical abundances with evolutionary phase have been identified among stars in globular and open clusters with a wide range of metallicities. In the metal-poor clusters, these variations compare well with predictions from…
Spectra with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 50 stars which are just below the main sequence turnoff and are members of M13 are presented. They yield indices for the strength of the CH and the ultraviolet CN band. There is no evidence for a…
We present a comprehensive spectroscopic study of the integrated light of metal-rich Galactic globular clusters and the stellar population in the Galactic bulge. We measure line indices which are defined by the Lick standard system and…
NGC 6441 is one of the most massive and most metal-rich globular clusters in the galaxy, and is noted for an unusual extended horizontal branch which reaches past the instability strip. We find evidence that there are two different…
We have carried out spectrophotometry in the range 3600--9700\AA~ of five globular clusters in NGC 5128 for which previous photometric studies suggested a high metal content. We compare the equivalent widths of a set of metallic features of…