An abundance analysis of bright giants in the globular cluster NGC 1851

Abstract

We present the chemical compositions for eight bright giants in the globular cluster NGC 1851. Our analysis reveals large star-to-star abundance variations and correlations of the light elements O, Na, and Al, a feature found in every well studied globular cluster. However, NGC 1851 also exhibits large star-to-star abundance variations of the s-process elements Zr and La. These s-process elements are correlated with Al, and anticorrelated with O. Furthermore, the Zr and La abundances appear to cluster around two distinct values. A recent study revealed a double subgiant branch in NGC 1851. Our data reinforce the notion that there are two stellar populations in NGC 1851 and indicate that this cluster has experienced a complicated formation history with similarities to omega Centauri.

Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

References in corpus (3)

• The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. III. The Double Subgiant Branch of NGC 1851
• The ACS Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters: M54 and Young Populations in the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
• Heavy elements and chemical enrichment in globular clusters

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Formation and Dynamical Evolution of Multiple Stellar Generations in Globular Clusters
• Spectroscopic and Photometric evidence of two stellar populations in the Galactic Globular Cluster NGC6121 (M4)
• Origin of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters and their helium enrichment
• The fraction of second generation stars in Globular Clusters from the analysis of the Horizontal Branch
• A large C+N+O abundance spread in giant stars of the globular cluster NGC 1851
• O and Na abundance patterns in open clusters of the Galactic disk
• Metallicities and Radial Velocities of Five Open Clusters Including a New Candidate Member of the Monoceros Stream
• The Horizontal Branch of NGC 1851: Constraints on the Cluster Subpopulations
• Observations of multiple populations in star clusters