Related papers: A Main Sequence CH-star in the globular cluster M5…
Abundance trends in heavier elements with evolutionary phase have been shown to exist in the globular cluster NGC 6752 [Fe/H]=-1.6. These trends are a result of atomic diffusion and additional (non-convective) mixing. Studying such trends…
The most massive and complex globular clusters in the Galaxy are thought to have originated as the nuclear cores of now tidally disrupted dwarf galaxies, but the connection between globular clusters and dwarf galaxies is tenuous with the…
We propose a new chemical evolution model aimed at explaining the chemical properties of globular clusters (GC) stars. Our model depends upon the existence of (i) a peculiar pre-enrichment phase in the GC's parent galaxy associated with…
It is now widely accepted that globular cluster red giant branch stars owe their strange abundance patterns to a combination of pollution from progenitor stars and in situ extra mixing. In this hybrid theory a first generation of stars…
Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are the densest stellar systems in the Universe. They can be found at the center of all galaxy types, but tend to favor galaxies of intermediate stellar mass around 10$^9\,$M$_{\odot}$[1, 2]. Currently, two main…
We present [C/Fe] and [N/Fe] abundance ratios and CH({\lambda}4300) and S({\lambda}3883) index measurements for 94 red giant branch (RGB) stars in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy from VLT/VIMOS MOS observations at a resolving power R=…
We have completely mapped the globular cluster NGC 1851 with VI CCD photometry, obtaining a CMD for ca. 20500 stars. From the apparent luminosity of the HB we derive a distance modulus (m-M)o=15.44+/-0.20. The presence of 7 "supra-HB" stars…
We report the detection of a dwarf nova (DN) in the core region of the globular cluster M55. Six outbursts were observed during 8 observing seasons spanning the period 1997-2004. The variable has an X-ray counterpart detected on images…
Carbon stars (with C/O> 1) were long assumed to all be giants, because only AGB stars dredge up significant carbon into their atmospheres. The case is nearly iron-clad now that the formerly mysterious dwarf carbon (dC) stars are actually…
Information on globular clusters (GC) formation mechanisms can be gathered by studying the chemical signature of the multiple populations that compose these stellar systems. In particular, we are investigating the anticorrelations among O,…
In Martell & Grebel (2010) we reported the discovery in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II/SEGUE spectroscopic database of a small subset of halo red giants, 2.5%, with CN and CH band strengths indicative of globular-cluster-like carbon and…
Observations of CN and CH band strengths among a random sample of main-sequence turn-off stars (+3.9 < MV < +4.6) in the globular cluster 47 Tuc (NGC 104, C0021-723) were made with the CTIO Argus fiber spectrograph for the purpose of…
The field of the globular cluster M10 (NGC 6254) was monitored between 1998 and 2015 in a search for variable stars. V -light curves were derived for 40 variables or likely variables, most of which are new detections. Proper motions…
Two generations of stars, G1 and G2, typically populate Galactic globular clusters (GCs). The origin of G2 stars is unclear. We uncover two empirical dependencies between GC characteristics, which can be explained by the formation of G2…
NGC 6402 is among the most massive globular clusters in the Galaxy, but little is known about its detailed chemical composition. Therefore, we obtained radial velocities and/or chemical abundances of 11 elements for 41 red giant branch…
Galactic star clusters are known to harbour a significant amount of binary stars, yet their role in the dynamical evolution of the cluster as a whole is not comprehensively understood. We investigated the influence of binary stars on the…
Carbon stars (with atmospheric C/O$>1$) range widely in temperature and luminosity, from low mass dwarfs to asymptotic giant branch stars (AGB). The main sequence dwarf carbon (dC) stars have inherited carbon-rich material from an AGB…
We present measurements of the neutron-capture elements Rb and Pb in five giant stars of the globular cluster NGC 6752 and Pb measurements in four giants of the globular cluster M 13. The abundances were derived by comparing synthetic…
The Hipparcos orbiting observatory has revealed a large number of helium-core-burning "clump" stars in the Galactic field. These low-mass stars exhibit signatures of extra-mixing processes that require modeling beyond the first dredge-up of…
High resolution spectra of 110 selected red giant stars in the globular cluster M15 (NGC 7078) were obtained with Hectochelle at the MMT telescope in 2005 May, 2006 May, and 2006 October. Echelle orders containing Halpha and Ca H & K are…