Related papers: Dark Matter Effects on Stellar Populations in Glob…
Most Galactic Globular Clusters (GCs) harbour multiple populations of stars (MPs), composed of at least two generations: the first characterized by a "standard" $\alpha$-enhanced metal mixture, as observed in field halo stars of the Milky…
Multiple populations (MPs) is a intra-star cluster phenomenon consisting in star-to-star variation of the abundance of some light chemical elements. They have been observed in many star clusters, most of them old globular clusters,…
We review spectroscopic results concerning multiple stellar populations in globularclusters. The cluster initial mass is the most important parameter determining the fraction of second generation stars. The threshold for the onset of the…
The cluster abundance and its redshift evolution are known to be a powerful tool to constrain the amplitude of mass fluctuations \sigma_8 and the mass density parameter \Omega_m0. We study the impact of the finite decay rate of cold dark…
We present the results of a comprehensive analysis of the structure and kinematics of six Galactic globular clusters. By comparing the results of the most extensive photometric and kinematical surveys available to date with suited dynamical…
In a series of two papers, we test the primordial scenario of globular cluster formation using results of high-resolutions N-body simulations. In this first paper we study the initial relaxation of a stellar core inside a live dark matter…
Spreads in light element abundances among stars (a.k.a. multiple populations) are observed in nearly all globular clusters. One way to map such chemical variations using high-precision photometry is to employ a suitable combination of…
Multiple stellar populations are observed in almost all globular-clusters, but the origin of this phenomenon is still debated. We investigate the role cool supergiants may have played. To do this, we combine two investigative methods:…
Observations have revealed that most stars are born in clusters. These systems, containing from tens to thousands of stars and typically significant mass in gas in the youngest systems, evolve due to a combination of stellar and star-gas…
Star clusters have hierarchical patterns in space and time, suggesting formation processes in the densest regions of a turbulent interstellar medium. Clusters also have hierarchical substructure when they are young, which makes them all…
The discovery of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters has implications for all the aspects of the study of these stellar systems. In this paper, by means of N-body simulations, we study the evolution of binary stars in…
The majority of the inhomogeneities in the chemical composition of Globular Cluster (GC) stars appear due to primordial enrichment by hot-CNO cycled material processed in stars belonging to a first stellar generation. Either massive AGB…
Many possible scenarios for the formation of multiple stellar populations (MSP) in globular clusters (GCs) have been discussed so far, including the involvement of asymptotic giant branch stars, fast rotating main sequence stars, very…
A short story of dark matter as an example of a scientific revolution is given. The characteristics of stellar populations are compared with those of dark halos. The mean mass-to-luminosity ratio of stellar populations is found to be 4 in…
Recent surveys of star forming regions have shown that most stars, and probably all massive stars, are born in dense stellar clusters. The mechanism by which a molecular cloud fragments to form several hundred to thousands of individual…
We present a novel approach to the riddle of star cluster multiple populations. Stars form from molecular cores. But not all cores form stars. Following their initial compression, such 'failed' cores re-expand, rather than collapsing. We…
We discuss the formation of dark compact objects in a dark matter environment in view of the possible mass dependence of pulsars on the distribution of dark matter in the Galaxy. Our results indicate that the pulsar masses should decrease…
Binary stars are common in star clusters and galaxies, but the detailed effects of binary evolution are not taken into account in some colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) studies. This paper studies the CMDs of twelve globular clusters via…
In the first part of this article, we review observations of the mass and luminosity functions of young and old star cluster systems. We also review some of the physical processes that may determine the characteristic mass of globular…
Even after decades of research, the origin of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters remains enigmatic. The question as to whether the galaxy environment plays a role in their formation remains unanswered. To that extent, we…