Related papers: An ancient system hidden in the Galactic plane?
We present new results on the Fundamental Plane of galaxies in two rich clusters, Cl1358+62 at $z=0.33$ and MS2053--04 at $z=0.58$, based on Keck and HST observations. Our new data triple the sample of galaxies with measured Fundamental…
(ABRIDGED) Globular clusters trace the formation and evolution of the Milky Way and surrounding galaxies, and outline their chemical enrichment history. To accomplish these tasks it is important to have large samples of clusters with…
The compositions of stars are a critical diagnostic tool for many topics in astronomy such as the evolution of our Galaxy, the formation of planets, and the uniqueness of the Sun. Previous spectroscopic measurements indicate a large…
Observational studies are finding stars believed to be relics of the earliest stages of hierarchical mass assembly of the Milky Way (i.e., proto-Galaxy). In this work, we contextualize these findings by studying the masses, ages, spatial…
This study presents a comprehensive chemo-dynamical analysis of LAMOST J1109+0754, a bright (V = 12.8), extremely metal-poor (\abund{Fe}{H} = $-3.17$) star, with a strong \textit{r}-process enhancement (\abund{Eu}{Fe} = +0.94 $\pm$ 0.12).…
Long-slit spectra have been obtained with the Keck telescope for a sample of 11 early-type galaxies covering a wide range in luminosity and hence mass. Rotation velocity and velocity dispersions, together with 19 Lick line-strength…
Massive disk galaxies like our Milky Way should host an ancient, metal-poor, and centrally concentrated stellar population. This population reflects the star formation and enrichment in the few most massive progenitor components that…
The Small Magellanic Cloud is a close, irregular galaxy that has experienced a complex star formation history due to the strong interactions occurred both with the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Galaxy. Despite its importance, the chemical…
There are only a few ``dark galaxy'' candidates discovered to date in the local Universe. One of the most prominent of them is the SW component of a merging system HI 1225+01. On the other hand, the number of known very metal-poor gas-rich…
Planet formation in the chemically ancient, dynamically heated Galactic thick disc remains poorly constrained, owing to the expectation that its low solid reservoirs, short disc lifetimes, and harsh irradiation environments inhibit…
A few topics concerning the early chemical evolution of the Milky Way are critically discussed. In particular, it is argued that: 1) Observed abundance patterns of extremely metal poor stars (of Pop. II) do not constrain the mass range of…
With abundances and 2{\sigma} upper limits of fluorine (F) in seven metal-poor field giants, nucleosynthesis of stellar F at low metallicity is discussed. The measurements are derived from the HF(1-0) R9 line at 23358{\AA} using…
Using modern published data on velocities and spectroscopic definitions of chemical elements in stellar objects of the Galaxy, we investigated the relationship of chemical composition with the kinematics of different populations. The paper…
We use detailed nucleosynthesis calculations and a realistic prescription for the environment of the first stars to explore the first episodes of chemical enrichment that occurred during the dark ages. Based on these calculations, we…
Galactic Archeology is a powerful tool for investigating the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. We use this technique to study kinematic groups of F- and G-stars in the solar neighbourhood. From correlations between orbital…
We have gathered high resolution echelle spectra for more than two dozen high-velocity metal-poor field stars, including BD+80 245, a star previously known to have extremely low [alpha/Fe] abundances, as well as G4-36, a new low-alpha star…
Ultra diffuse galaxies are a population of extended galaxies but with relatively low luminosities. The origin of these objects remains unclear, largely due to the observational challenges of the low surface brightness Universe. We present…
Studies of the early chemical evolution of some larger dwarf galaxies ( $>10^7$ solar masses) are limited by the small number of stars known at low metallicities in these systems. Here we present metallicities and carbon abundances for…
Recent dynamical analysis based on Gaia data have revealed major accretion events in Milky Way's history. Nevertheless, our understanding of the primordial Galaxy is hindered because the bona fide identification of the most metal-poor and…
White dwarfs that accrete the debris of tidally disrupted asteroids provide the opportunity to measure the bulk composition of the building blocks, or fragments, of exoplanets. This technique has established a diversity in compositions…