Related papers: Is Palomar 1 really associated with the Canis Majo…
Recent work suggests that rich clusters of galaxies commonly have large populations of dwarf (i.e. low luminosity) members, that is their luminosity function (LF) turns up to a steep slope at the faint end. This population, or more…
We summarize the results of our ongoing investigation of the chemical abundances in the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy (Sgr dSph) and in the Canis Major Overdensity (CMa). 12 RGB stars were analyzed in the Sgr dSph, plus 5 in the…
Globular clusters (GCs) in the outer Milky Way halo are important tracers of the assembly history of our Galaxy. Only a few of these objects show spreads in heavier elements beyond the canonical light-element variations that have…
We present chemodynamical links between the present-day Milky Way halo field star population and Galactic globular clusters (GCs) using a dataset that combines information from the $\rm{\it Gaia}$ space mission and the Sloan Digital Sky…
This is a brief overview of the elemental abundance patterns that have been observed in the different Galactic stellar populations. Main focus is on studies that are based on high-resolution spectra of dwarf and subgiant stars, and in some…
While recent sky surveys have uncovered large numbers of ever fainter Milky Way satellites, their classification as star clusters, low-luminosity galaxies, or tidal overdensities remains often unclear. Likewise, their contributions to the…
Context: Globular clusters (GCs) in the outer halo are important probes of the composition and origin of the Galactic stellar halo. Aims: We derive chemical element abundance ratios in red giants belonging to the remote (R~90 kpc) GC Pal 3…
This paper concludes a systematic search for evidence of the Monoceros Ring and Canis Major dwarf galaxy around the Galactic Plane. Presented here are the results for the Galactic longitude range of l = (280 - 025)deg. Testing the claim…
The metal content of clusters of galaxies and its relation to their stellar content is revisited making use of a cluster sample for which all four basic parameters are homogeneously measured within consistent radii, namely core-excised…
Deep V and I CCD images of the loosely populated Galactic globular cluster Pal 1 and the surrounding field have been obtained with the INT. A color magnitude diagram down to V(lim) ~ 24, and a luminosity function complete down to V(lim) ~…
Most star complexes are in fact complexes of stars, clusters and gas clouds; term "star complexes" was introduced as general one disregarding the preferential content of a complex. Generally the high rate of star formation in a complex is…
In the last decade we witness an advent of new types of dwarf stellar systems in cluding ultra-compact dwarfs, ultra-faint dwarf spheroidals, and exotic globular clusters, breaking the old simple paradigm for dwarf galaxies and globular…
We present DECam imaging for the peculiar Galactic globular clusters NGC1851, NGC1904 (M79), NGC2298 and NGC2808. Our deep photometry reveals that all the clusters have an important contribution of stars beyond their King tidal radii and…
Photometry of a large field around the young globular cluster Palomar 12 has revealed the main-sequence of a low surface-brightness stellar system. This main-sequence is indicative of a stellar population that varies significantly in…
Their ubiquity and extreme densities make star clusters probes of prime importance of galaxy evolution. Old globular clusters keep imprints of the physical conditions of their assembly in the early Universe, and younger stellar objects,…
Context: Chemical element abundances for distant Galactic globular clusters (GCs) hold important clues to the origin of the Milky Way halo and its substructures. Aims: We study the chemical composition of red giant stars in Pal 4 - one of…
We present the abundance analysis of a sample of more than 120 red giants in the globular cluster (GC) NGC 1851, based on FLAMES spectra. We find a small but detectable metallicity spread. This spread is compatible with the presence of two…
We investigate the kinematic properties and stellar population of the Galactic satellite Willman 1 (Wil 1) by combining Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy with KPNO mosaic camera imaging. Wil 1 is an ultra-low luminosity Milky Way companion. This…
Globular cluster (GC) stars composed of pristine material (first-generation, 1G, stars) are not chemically homogeneous, as they exhibit extended sequences in the "Chromosome Map" (ChM). Recent studies characterized 1G stars within the…
Early-type dwarf galaxies are found to have high specific globular cluster frequencies which are similar to the high S values that are observed in luminous galaxies of types E and S0. It appears unlikely that cluster formation during…