Bibcode
Villanova, S.; Piotto, G.; Marino, A. F.; Milone, A. P.; Bellini, A.; Bedin, L. R.; Momany, Y.; Renzini, A.
Bibliographical reference
Star clusters: basic galactic building blocks throughout time and space, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, IAU Symposium, Volume 266, p. 326-332
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1
2010
Citations
3
Refereed citations
3
Description
We present an abundance analysis based on high-resolution spectra of
red-giant-branch (RGB) stars in the Galactic globular clusters NGC 6121
(M4) and NGC 6656 (M22). Our aim was to study their stellar population
in the context of the multipopulation phenomenon recently discovered to
affect some globular clusters. Analysis was performed for the following
elements: O, Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Fe, Y, and Ba. Spectroscopic data were
completed by high-precision wide-field U BV IC ground-based
photometry and HST/ACS observations. For M4, we find a well-defined Na-O
anticorrelation composed of two distinct groups of stars with
significantly different Na and O content. The two groups of Na-rich and
Na-poor stars populate two different regions along the RGB. As regards
M22, Na and O follow the well-known anticorrelation found in many other
GCs. However, at odds with M4, it appears to be continuous without any
hint of clumpiness. On the other hand, we identified two clearly
separated groups of stars with significantly different abundances of the
s-process elements Y, Zr and Ba. The relative numbers of the members of
both groups are very similar to the ratio of the stars in the two
subgiant branches of M22 recently found by Piotto (2009). The
s-element-rich stars are also richer in iron and have higher Ca
abundances. This makes M22 the second cluster after ω Centauri
where an intrinsic spread in Fe was found. Both spectroscopic and
photometric results imply the presence of two stellar populations in M4
and M22, even if both clusters have completely different
characteristics.