arXivDaily arXiv每日学术速递 周一至周五更新
arXiv 1201.3241astro-ph.GA
收藏

球状星团的氦含量:NGC6121(M4)

The helium content of globular clusters: NGC6121 (M4)

S. Villanova, D. Geisler, G. Piotto, R. Gratton

摘要:

他被认为是解释所观察到的多个MS,SGB和RGB以及复杂的水平分支(HB)形态的关键因素。属于HB的蓝色部分的恒星,被认为比位于红色部分的恒星更富He(ΔY=0.03或更高)和更富Na/贫O。这一假设在NGC 6752中得到了部分证实,在那里,零龄HB更红的恒星的He含量为Y=0.25+-0.01,与宇宙的原始He含量完全一致,并且都是贫Na/富O的。在这里,我们研究了GC NGC 6121(M4)中的热蓝HB(BHB)星,以测量它们的He + O/Na含量。我们使用UVES@VLT2光谱设备观测了6颗BHB星。除He外,还估计了O、Na和Fe的丰度。结果表明,所有恒星都是富钠贫氧的,并且具有均匀增强的He含量,平均值为Y=0.29+-0.01(随机)+-0.01(系统)。M4中蓝色HB星的高He含量也被它们比红色HB星(RHB)更亮的事实所证实。理论模型表明,BHB星相对于RHB星的He增强了ΔY=0.02-0.03。整个恒星样本的金属丰度为[Fe/H]=-1.06+-0.02(内部误差)。这是一个罕见的直接测量的(原始)他丰富的恒星属于钠丰富/O-穷人人口的GC星在一个温度制度,其中他的内容是不改变沉降或极端混合建议的最热的,晚氦闪光HB星。我们的研究结果支持理论预测,富Na/O-穷人的人口也比Na-穷人/O-丰富的一代和第2^{nd}参数的主要竞争者是He丰度。

英文摘要:

He has been proposed as a key element to interpret the observed multiple MS, SGB, and RGB, as well as the complex horizontal branch (HB) morphology. Stars belonging to the bluer part of the HB, are thought to be more He rich (ΔY=0.03 or more) and more Na-rich/O-poor than those located in the redder part. This hypothesis was only partially confirmed in NGC 6752, where stars of the redder zero-age HB showed a He content of Y=0.25+-0.01, fully compatible with the primordial He content of the Universe, and were all Na-poor/O-rich. Here we study hot blue HB (BHB) stars in the GC NGC 6121 (M4) to measure their He plus O/Na content. We observed 6 BHB stars using the UVES@VLT2 spectroscopic facility. In addition to He, O, Na, and Fe abundances were estimated. Stars turned out to be all Na-rich and O-poor and to have a homogeneous enhanced He content with a mean value of Y=0.29+-0.01(random)+-0.01(systematic). The high He content of blue HB stars in M4 is also confirmed by the fact that they are brighter than red HB stars (RHB). Theoretical models suggest the BHB stars are He-enhanced by ΔY=0.02-0.03 with respect to the RHB stars. The whole sample of stars has a metallicity of [Fe/H]=-1.06+-0.02 (internal error). This is a rare direct measurement of the (primordial) He abundance for stars belonging to the Na-rich/O-poor population of GC stars in a temperature regime where the He content is not altered by sedimentation or extreme mixing as suggested for the hottest, late helium flash HB stars. Our results support theoretical predictions that the Na-rich/O-poor population is also more He-rich than the Na-poor/O-rich generation and that a leading contender for the 2^{nd} parameter is the He abundance.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

↑