Searching for globular cluster chemical anomalies on the main sequence of a young massive cluster
I. Cabrera-Ziri, J. S. Speagle, E. Dalessandro, C. Usher, N. J. Bastian, M. Salaris, S. Martocchia, V. Kozhurina-Platais, F. Niederhofer, C. Lardo, S. S. Larsen, S. Saracino
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9 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
The spectroscopic and photometric signals of the star-to-star abundance variations found in globular clusters seem to be correlated with global parameters like the cluster's metallicity, mass and age. Understanding this behaviour could bring us closer to the origin of these intriguing abundance spreads. In this work we use deep HST photometry to look for evidence of abundance variations in the main sequence of a young massive cluster NGC 419 ($\sim10^5$ M$_{\odot}$, $\sim1.4$ Gyr). Unlike previous studies, here we focus on stars in the same mass range found in old globulars ($\sim0.75-1$ M$_{\odot}$), where light elements variations are detected. We find no evidence for N abundance variations among these stars in the $Un-B$ and $U-B$ CMD of NGC 419. This is at odds with the N-variations found in old globulars like 47 Tuc, NGC 6352 and NGC 6637 with similar metallicity to NGC 419. Although the signature of the abundance variations characteristic of old globulars appears to be significantly smaller or absent in this young cluster, we cannot conclude if this effect is mainly driven by its age or its mass.
We explore the kinematics and orbital properties of a sample of red giants in the halo system of the Milky Way that are thought to have formed in globular clusters, based on their anomalously strong UV/blue CN bands. The orbital parameters of the CN-strong halo stars are compared to those of the inner- and outer-halo populations as described by Carollo et al., and to the orbital parameters of globular clusters with well-studied Galactic orbits. The CN-strong field stars and the globular clusters both exhibit kinematics and orbital properties similar to the inner-halo population, indicating tha…
It is now commonly accepted that globular clusters (GCs) have undergone a complex formation and that they host at least two stellar generations. This is a recent paradigm and is founded on both photometric and spectroscopic evidence. We concentrate on results based on high-resolution spectroscopy and on how we moved from single to multiple stellar populations concept for GCs. We underline that the peculiar chemical composition of GC stars is fundamental in establishing the multiple populations scenario and briefly outline what can be learned from observations. Finally, recent observational res…
I present an overview of our ongoing project aimed at building a new generation of velocity dispersion profiles ad rotation curves for a representative sample of Galactic globular clusters, from the the radial velocity of hundreds individual stars distributed at different distances from the cluster center. The innermost portion of the profiles will be used to constrain the possibile presence of intermediate-mass black holes. The adopted methodology consists in combining spectroscopic observations acquired with three different instruments at the ESO-VLT: the adaptive-optics assisted, integral f…
For several decades, globular clusters have been considered the best example of simple stellar populations, hosting coeval and chemical homogeneous stars. The last decade of spectroscopic and photometric studies has revealed a more complex view of their chemical composition, with a high level of homogeneity in their iron content but star-to-star variations in some light elements. This contribution summarizes the main evidence about the chemical anomalies in the stellar content of the globular clusters, discussing also some peculiar objects with intrinsic dispersions in their iron content.
Globular clusters (GCs), once thought to be well approximated as simple stellar populations (i.e. all stars having the same age and chemical abundance), are now known to host a variety of anomalies, such as multiple discrete (or spreads in) populations in colour-magnitude diagrams and abundance variations in light elements (e.g., Na, O, Al). Multiple models have been put forward to explain the observed anomalies, although all have serious shortcomings (e.g., requiring a non-standard initial mass function of stars and GCs to have been initially 10-100 times more massive than observed today). Th…
Whiting 1 is a faint and young globular cluster in the halo of the Milky Way, and was suggested to have originated in the Sagittarius spherical dwarf galaxy (Sgr dSph). In this paper, we use the deep DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys to explore tentative spatial connection between Whiting 1 and the Sgr dSph. We redetermine the fundamental parameters of Whiting 1 and use the best-fitting isochrone (age $τ$=6.5 Gyr, metalicity Z=0.005 and $\rm d_{\odot}$=26.9 kpc) to construct a theoretical matched filter for the extra-tidal features searching. Without any smooth technique to the matched filter densit…
The VVV is currently surveying the central regions of the Milky Way at near-infrared wavelengths, including 36 known Galactic globular clusters. We already have data in several filters to generate their color-magnitude diagrams. We also have enough epochs to begin producing the light-curves of the cluster stars and look for any possible member variable stars. We are especially interested in RR Lyrae stars, since they are abundant in Galactic globular clusters, and the period-luminosity relation they show at near-infrared wavelengths, can help enormously in providing accurate distances and redd…
We present an observational estimate of the fraction and distribution of dark mass in the innermost region of the two Galactic globular clusters NGC 6218 (M12) and NGC 288. Such an assessment has been made by comparing the dynamical and luminous mass profiles derived from an accurate analysis of the most extensive spectroscopic and photometric surveys performed on these stellar systems. We find that non-luminous matter constitutes more than 60% of the total mass in the region probed by our data (R<1.6 arcmin~r_h) in both clusters. We have carefully analyzed the effects of binaries and tidal he…
Abundance anomalies observed in globular cluster stars indicate pollution with material processed by hydrogen burning. Two main sources have been suggested: asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and massive stars rotating near the break-up limit (spin stars). We propose massive binaries as an alternative source. We compute the evolution of a 20 Msun star in a close binary and find that it sheds about 10 Msun. The ejecta are enriched in He, N, Na, and Al and depleted in C and O, similar to the abundance patterns observed in gobular cluster stars. In contrast to the fast, radiatively driven winds …
We discuss the potential of the gravitational microlensing method as a unique tool to detect unambiguous signals caused by intermediate-mass black holes in globular clusters. We select clusters near the line of sight to the Galactic Bulge and the Small Magellanic Cloud, estimate the density of background stars for each of them, and carry out simulations in order to estimate the probabilities of detecting the astrometric signatures caused by black hole lensing. We find that for several clusters, the probability of detecting such an event is significant with available archival data from the Hubb…
Using spectra obtained with the VLT/FORS2 and Gemini-S/GMOS instruments we have investigated carbon, nitrogen and sodium abundances in a sample of red giants in the Small Magellanic Cloud cluster Kron 3. The metallicity and luminosity of this cluster are comparable to those of Galactic globular clusters although with a notably younger age of $\sim$ 6.5 Gyr. Specifically we have investigated the strengths of the CH ($λ$ 4300 A) and CN ($λ$ 3800, $λ$ 4215) molecular bands finding a bimodality of CN band-strengths and a CH/CN anti-correlation. Application of spectrum synthesis techniques reveals …
Three-body interactions can eject stars from the core of a globular cluster, causing them to enter the Galactic halo as extra-tidal stars. While finding extra-tidal stars is imperative for understanding cluster evolution, connecting isolated extra-tidal field stars back to their birth cluster is extremely difficult. In this work, we present a new methodology consisting of high-dimensional data analysis and a particle spray code to identify extra-tidal stars of any Galactic globular cluster using M3 as a case study. Using the t-Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE) and Uniform Manifold Approxi…
Hidden in Plain Sight: Searching for Globular Clusters Within JWST Observations of the PLCK G165.7+67.0 Galaxy Cluster
School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University（亚利桑那州立大学地球与空间探索学院）；Steward Observatory, University of Arizona（亚利桑那大学斯图尔德天文台）；Department of Astronomy, University of California（加州大学天文学系）；Instituto de Física de Cantabria (CSIC-UC)（坎塔布里亚物理研究所（西班牙高等科学研究委员会-坎塔布里亚大学））；Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Alan Turing Building, University of Manchester（曼彻斯特大学约德雷尔银行天体物理学中心）
The detection of intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) in globular clusters has been hotly debated, with different observational methods delivering different outcomes for the same object. In order to understand these discrepancies, we construct detailed mock integral field spectroscopy (IFU) observations of globular clusters, starting from realistic Monte Carlo cluster simulations. The output is a data cube of spectra in a given field-of-view that can be analyzed in the same manner as real observations and compared to other (resolved) kinematic measurement methods. We show that the main discre…
Periodic variables illuminate the physical processes of stars throughout their lifetime. Wide-field surveys continue to increase our discovery rates of periodic variable stars. Automated approaches are essential to identify interesting periodic variable stars for multi-wavelength and spectroscopic follow-up. Here, we present a novel unsupervised machine learning approach to hunt for anomalous periodic variables using phase-folded light curves presented in the Zwicky Transient Facility Catalogue of Periodic Variable Stars by \citet{Chen_2020}. We use a convolutional variational autoencoder to l…
The claimed detection of a diffuse galaxy lacking dark matter represents a possible challenge to our understanding of the properties of these galaxies and galaxy formation in general. The galaxy, already identified in photographic plates taken in the summer of 1976 at the UK 48-in Schmidt telescope, presents normal distance-independent properties (e.g. colour, velocity dispersion of its globular clusters). However, distance-dependent quantities are at odds with those of other similar galaxies, namely the luminosity function and sizes of its globular clusters, mass-to-light ratio and dark matte…
We take a closer look at our published results of determination of ages, metallicities, helium mass fractions and abundances of chemical elements in Galactic globular clusters in order to find possible signatures of the phenomenon of multiple stellar populations in these data. Our analysis reveals that carbon abundances in the atmospheres of stars in the studied clusters change gradually during their evolution. The changes of the helium mass fraction and C, O, Mg and Na abundance anomalies caused by the effect of multiple stellar populations on the analyzed integrated-light spectra are detecte…
We explore the possibility of searching for extratidal features around the Galactic globular cluster NGC362 using the Gaia DR2 together with a modified version of a classical statistical decontamination algorithm. Our results suggest that an important stellar component is associated with this globular cluster, which is perfectly distinguishable from the populations in the Small Magellanic Cloud and that of the nearby NGC104 (47 Tucanae). We thus confirm once again the power of Gaia to disentangle different stellar components along the same line-of-sight.
Globular clusters (GCs) are known to host multiple stellar populations showing chemical anomalies in the content of light elements. The origin of such anomalies observed in Galactic GCs is still debated. Here we analyse data compiled from the Hubble Space Telescope, ground-based surveys and Gaia DR2 and explore relationships between the structural properties of GCs and the fraction of second population (2P) stars. Given the correlations we find, we conclude that the main factor driving the formation/evolution of 2P stars is the cluster mass. The existing strong correlations between the 2P frac…
Globular clusters (GCs) are thought to harbor the long-sought population of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). We present a systematic search for a putative IMBH in 81 Milky Way GCs, based on archival Chandra X-ray observations. We find in only six GCs a significant X-ray source positionally coincident with the cluster center, which have 0.5-8 keV luminosities between $\sim1\times 10^{30}~{\rm erg~s^{-1}}$ to $\sim 4\times10^{33}~{\rm erg~s^{-1}}$. However, the spectral and temporal properties of these six sources can also be explained in terms of binary stars. The remaining 75 GCs do not …
We present evidence for globular cluster stellar debris in a dwarf galaxy system (Sagittarius: Sgr) based on an analysis of high-resolution \textit{H}-band spectra from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey. We add [N/Fe], [Ti/Fe], and [Ni/Fe] abundance ratios to the existing sample of potential members of M~54; this is the first time that [N/Fe] abundances are derived for a large number of stars in M~54. Our study reveals the existence of a significant population of nitrogen- (with a large spread, $\gtrsim1$ dex) and aluminum-enriched stars with moderate M…
The study of ages, helium mass fraction (Y) and chemical composition of globular clusters in dwarf galaxies is important for understanding the physical conditions at the main evolutionary stages of the host galaxies and for constraining the build-up histories of large galaxies. We present the analysis of integrated-light spectra of 8 extragalactic and 20 Galactic globular clusters (GCs) using our population synthesis method. We calculate synthetic spectra of GCs according to the defined stellar mass functions using model atmospheres and stellar parameters ($[Fe/H]$, $T_{eff}$, and $log g$) set…
Abundance anomalies in globular clusters provide strong evidence for multiple stellar populations within each cluster. These populations are usually interpreted as distinct generations, with the currently observed second-generation stars having formed in part from the ejecta of massive, first-generation "polluter" stars, giving rise to the anomalous abundance patterns. The precise nature of the polluters and their enrichment mechanism are still unclear. Even so, the chemical abundances measured in second-generation stars within the globular cluster NGC 2419 provide insight into this puzzling p…
To explain the observed anomalies in stellar populations within globular clusters, many globular cluster formation theories require two independent episodes of star formation. A fundamental prediction of these models is that the clusters must accumulate large gas reservoirs as the raw material to form the second stellar generation. We show that young clusters containing the required gas reservoir should exhibit the following observational signatures: (i) a dip in the measured luminosity profile or an increase in measured reddening towards the cluster centre, with Av >10mag within a radius of a…
Context: The total mass of a cluster, being the main parameter determining its ability to host more than one stellar generation, may constitute a threshold below which the cluster is able to form only a single stellar population. AIms: Our goal is to investigate the existence of star-to-star variations of CN and CH band strengths, related to the N and C abundances, respectively, among the stars in five open cluster (NGC 2158, NGC 2420, NGC 2682, NGC 7789 and Berkeley 29) similar to those observed in globular clusters and linked with the existence of multiple populations therein. Since these sy…
A number of scenarios have been put forward to explain the origin of the chemical anomalies (and resulting complex colour-magnitude diagrams) observed in globular clusters (GCs), namely the AGB, Fast Rotating Massive Star, Very Massive Star, and Early Disc Accretion scenarios. We compare the predictions of these scenarios with a range of observations (including young massive clusters (YMCs), chemical patterns, and GC population properties) and find that all models are inconsistent with observations. In particular, YMCs do not show evidence for multiple epochs of star-formation and appear to be…
More than a decade has passed since the definition of Globular Cluster (GC) changed, and now we know that they host Multiple Populations (MPs). But few GCs do not share that behaviour and Ruprecht 106 is one of these clusters. We analyzed thirteen member red giant branch stars using spectra in the wavelength range 6120-6405 Angstroms obtained through the GIRAFFE Spectrograph, mounted at UT2 telescope at Paranal, as well as the whole cluster using C, V, R and I photometry obtained through the Swope telescope at Las Campanas. Atmospheric parameters were determined from the photometry to determin…
Lensing flux-ratio anomalies have been frequently observed and taken as evidence for the presence of abundant dark matter substructures in lensing galaxies, as predicted by the cold dark matter (CDM) model of cosmogony. In previous work, we examined the cusp-caustic relations of the multiple images of background quasars lensed by galaxy-scale dark matter haloes, using a suite of high-resolution N-body simulations (the Aquarius simulations). In this work, we extend our previous calculations to incorporate both the baryonic and diffuse dark components in lensing haloes. We include in each lensin…
Scattering events with compact objects are expected in the primordial black hole (PBH) cold dark matter (CDM) scenario due to close encounters between stars and PBH in the dense environments of dwarf spheroidals. We develop a Bayesian framework to search for correlations among Milky Way stellar trajectories and those of globular clusters and dwarf galaxies in the halo, and other nearby galaxies. We apply the method to a selection of hypervelocity stars (HVS) and globular clusters from Gaia DR2 catalog, and known nearby (mostly dwarf) galaxies with full phase-space and size measurements. We rep…
In this paper, which is the first in a series of papers associated with cataclysmic variables and related objects, we introduce the CATUABA code, a numerical machinery written for analysis of the MOCCA simulations, and show some first results by investigating the present-day population of cataclysmic variables in globular clusters. Emphasis was given on their properties and the observational selection effects when observing and detecting them. In this work we analysed in this work six models, including three with Kroupa distributions of the initial binaries. We found that for models with Kroup…
Blue hook (BHk) stars are a rare class of horizontal branch stars that so far have been found in only very few Galactic globular clusters (GCs). The dominant mechanism for producing these objects is currently still unclear. In order to test if the presence of BHk populations in a given GC is linked to specific physical or structural cluster properties, we have constructed a parent sample of GCs for which existing data is sufficient to establish the presence or absence of BHk populations with confidence. We then compare the properties of those clusters in our parent sample that do contain a BHk…
There are expected to be physical relationships between the globular clusters (GCs) and stellar substructures in the Milky Way, not all of which have yet been found. We search for such substructures from a combined halo sample of SDSS blue horizontal-branch and SDSS+LAMOST RR Lyrae stars, cross-matched with astrometric information from $Gaia$ DR2. This is a sample of old stars which are also excellent tracers of structures, ideal for searching for ancient relics in the outer stellar halo. By applying the neural-network-based method StarGO to the full 4D dynamical space of our sample, we redisc…
Many scenarios for the origin of the chemical anomalies observed in globular clusters (GCs; i.e., multiple populations) require that GCs were much more massive at birth, up to $10-100\times$, than they are presently. This is invoked in order to have enough material processed through first generation stars in order to form the observed numbers of enriched stars (inferred to be second generation stars in these models). If such mass loss was due to tidal stripping, gas expulsion, or tidal interaction with the birth environment, there should be clear correlations between the fraction of enriched s…
Aims: We describe our newly developed approach to detailed abundance analysis from integrated-light high-dispersion spectra of star clusters. As a pilot project, we measure abundances of several elements for three globular clusters (GCs) in the Fornax dSph, using VLT/UVES spectra. Methods: We divide the cluster colour-magnitude diagrams into about 100 bins and compute synthetic spectra for each bin. The individual model spectra are co-added and the abundances are iteratively adjusted until the best match to the observed spectra is achieved. Results: We find [Fe/H] = -2.3, -1.4 and -2.1 for For…
With a goal of searching for accreting intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), we report the results of ultra-deep Jansky VLA radio continuum observations of the cores of three Galactic globular clusters: M15, M19, and M22. We reach rms noise levels of 1.5-2.1 uJy/beam at an average frequency of 6 GHz. No sources are observed at the center of any of the clusters. For a conservative set of assumptions about the properties of the accretion, we set 3-sigma upper limits on IMBHs from 360-980 M_sun. These limits are among the most stringent obtained for any globular cluster. They add to a growing bo…
We report the results of a systematic photometric survey of the peripheral regions of a sample of fourteen globular clusters in the outer halo of the Milky Way at distances d_GC>25 kpc from the Galactic centre. The survey is aimed at searching for the remnants of the host satellite galaxies where these clusters could originally have been formed before being accreted onto the Galactic halo. The limiting surface brightness varies within our sample, but reaches muV_lim=30-32 mag arcsec^-2. For only two globular clusters (NGC 7492 and Whiting 1; already suggested to be associated with the Sagittar…
We introduce a new method for detecting ultra-diffuse galaxies by searching for over-densities in intergalactic globular cluster populations. Our approach is based on an application of the log-Gaussian Cox process, which is a commonly used model in the spatial statistics literature but rarely used in astronomy. This method is applied to the globular cluster data obtained from the PIPER survey, a \textit{Hubble Space Telescope} imaging program targeting the Perseus cluster. We successfully detect all confirmed ultra-diffuse galaxies with known globular cluster populations in the survey. We also…
Globular clusters (GCs), the oldest stellar systems observed in the Milky Way, have for long been considered single stellar populations. As such, they provided an ideal laboratory to understand stellar dynamics and primordial star formation processes. However, during the last two decades, observations unveiled their real, complex nature. Beside their pristine stars, GCs host one or more helium enriched and possibly younger stellar populations whose formation mechanism is still unknown. Even more puzzling is the existence of GCs showing star by star iron spreads. Using detailed N-body simulatio…
Abundance anomalies observed in globular cluster stars indicate pollution with material processed by hydrogen burning. Two main sources have been suggested: asymptotic giant branch stars and massive stars rotating near the break-up limit. We discuss the potential of massive binaries as an interesting alternative source of processed material. We discuss observational evidence for mass shedding from interacting binaries. In contrast to the fast, radiatively driven winds of massive stars, this material is typically ejected with low velocity. We expect that it remains inside the potential well of …
Scenarios that invoke multiple episodes of star formation within young globular clusters (GCs) to explain the observed chemical and photometric anomalies in GCs, require that clusters can retain the stellar ejecta of the stars within them and accrete large amounts of gas from their surroundings. Hence, it should be possible to find young massive clusters in the local Universe that contain significant amounts ($>10$\%) of the cluster mass of gas and/or dust within them. Recent theoretical studies have suggested that clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with masses in excess of $10^4$\ms…
The majority of Galactic globular clusters (GCs) contain multiple stellar populations displaying specific chemical abundance variations. In particular, GCs generally contain a `primordial' population with abundances similar to field stars, along with an `enriched' population exhibiting light element anomalies. In this paper we present a homogeneous and wide-view analysis of multiple stellar populations in 28 Galactic GCs. By using a combination of HST photometry together with wide-field, ground-based photometry we are able to analyse between 84% and 99% of all stars in each cluster. For each G…
In the first paper in this series, we proposed a new framework in which to model the chemical evolution of globular clusters. This model, is predicated upon the assumption that clusters form within an interstellar medium enriched locally by the ejecta of a single Type Ia supernova and varying numbers of asymptotic giant branch stars, superimposed on an ambient medium pre-enriched by low-metallicity Type II supernovae. Paper I was concerned with the application of this model to the observed abundances of several reactive elements and so-called non-metals for three classical intermediate-metalli…
Recent observations for three types of astrophysical systems severely challenge the GR plus dark matter scenario, showing a phenomenology which is what modified gravity theories predict. Stellar kinematics in the outskirts of globular clusters show the appearance of MOND type dynamics on crossing the $a_{0}$ threshold. Analysis shows a ``Tully-Fisher'' relation in these systems, a scaling of dispersion velocities with the fourth root of their masses. Secondly, an anomaly has been found at the unexpected scales of wide binaries in the solar neighbourhood. Binary orbital velocities cease to fall…
We report the result of searching for globular clusters (GCs) around 55 Milky Way satellite dwarf galaxies within the distance of 450 kpc from the Galactic Center except for the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the Sagittarius dwarf. For each dwarf, we analyze the stellar distribution of sources in Gaia DR2, selected by magnitude, proper motion, and source morphology. Using the kernel density estimation of stellar number counts, we identify eleven possible GC candidates. Crossed-matched with existing imaging data, all eleven objects are known either GCs or galaxies and only Fornax GC 1-6 …
NGC 2419 is the most distant massive globular cluster in the outer Galactic halo. It is unusual also due to the chemical peculiarities found in its red giant stars in recent years. We study the stellar population of this unusual object using spectra obtained at the 1.93-m telescope of the Haute-Provence Observatory. At variance with commonly used methods of high-resolution spectroscopy applicable only to bright stars, we employ spectroscopic information on the integrated light of the cluster. We carry out population synthesis modeling of medium-resolution spectra using synthetic stellar atmosp…
AGB stars have long been held responsible for the important star-to-star variations in light elements observed in Galactic globular clusters. We analyse the main impacts of a first generation of rotating intermediate-mass stars on the chemical properties of second-generation globular cluster stars. The rotating models were computed without magnetic fields and without the effects of internal gravity waves. They account for the transports by meridional currents and turbulence. We computed the evolution of both standard and rotating stellar models with initial masses between 2.5 and 8 Msun within…
NGC5824 is a massive Galactic globular cluster suspected to have an intrinsic spread in its iron content, according to the strength of the calcium triplet lines. We present chemical abundances of 117 cluster giant stars using high-resolution spectra acquired with the multi-object spectrograph FLAMES. The metallicity distribution of 87 red giant branch stars is peaked at [Fe/H]=-2.11+-0.01 dex, while that derived from 30 asymptotic giant branch stars is peaked at [Fe/H]=-2.20+-0.01 dex. Both the distributions are compatible with a null spread, pointing out that this cluster did not retain the e…
Studies during the last decade have revealed that nearly all Globular Clusters (GCs) host multiple populations (MPs) of stars with a distinctive chemical patterns in light elements. No evidence of such MPs has been found so far in lower-mass ($< \sim 10^4$ M$_{\odot}$) open clusters nor in intermediate age (1-2 Gyr) massive ($> 10^5$ M$_{\odot}$) clusters in the Local Group. Young massive clusters (YMCs) have masses and densities similar to those expected of young GCs in the early universe, and their near-infrared (NIR) spectra are dominated by the light of red super giants (RSGs). The spectra…
Several scenarios have been proposed to explain the presence of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters. Many of them invoke multiple generations of stars to explain the observed chemical abundance anomalies, but it has also been suggested that self-enrichment could occur via accretion of ejecta from massive stars onto the circumstellar disc of low-mass pre-main sequence stars. These scenarios imply different initial conditions for the kinematics of the various stellar populations. Given some net angular momentum initially, models for which a second generation forms from gas that col…
Anomalous surface abundances are observed in a fraction of the low-mass stars of Galactic globular clusters, that may originate from hot-hydrogen-burning products ejected by a previous generation of massive stars. We present and investigate a scenario in which the second generation of polluted low-mass stars can form in shells around cool supergiant stars within a young globular cluster. Simulations of low-Z massive stars (M$_{\rm i}\sim$ 150$-$600 M$_{\odot}$) show that both core-hydrogen-burning cool supergiants and hot ionizing stellar sources are expected to be present simulaneously in you…
The classic classification scheme for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) was recently challenged by the discovery of the so-called changing-state (changing-look) AGNs (CSAGNs). The physical mechanism behind this phenomenon is still a matter of open debate and the samples are too small and of serendipitous nature to provide robust answers. In order to tackle this problem, we need to design methods that are able to detect AGN right in the act of changing-state. Here we present an anomaly detection (AD) technique designed to identify AGN light curves with anomalous behaviors in massive datasets. The m…
Oxygen abundances of 67 dwarf stars in the metallicity range -1.6<[Fe/H]<-0.4 are derived from a non-LTE analysis of the 777 nm O I triplet lines. These stars have precise atmospheric parameters measured by Nissen and Schuster, who find that they separate into three groups based on their kinematics and alpha-element (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti) abundances: thick-disk, high-alpha halo, and low-alpha halo. We find the oxygen abundance trends of thick-disk and high-alpha halo stars very similar. The low-alpha stars show a larger star-to-star scatter in [O/Fe] at a given [Fe/H] and have systematically lower o…
Metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) are both numerous and ancient, which indicates that they may be important contributors to ionizing radiation in the reionization era. Starting from the observed number density and stellar mass function of old GCs at $z=0$, I compute the contribution of GCs to ultraviolet luminosity functions (UVLFs) in the high-redshift Universe ($10 \gtrsim z \gtrsim 4$). Even under absolutely minimal assumptions - no disruption of GCs and no reduction in GC stellar mass from early times to the present - GC star formation contributes non-negligibly to the UVLF at luminositie…
