Origin of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters and their helium enrichment

Abstract

The various scenarios proposed for the origin of the multiple, helium-enriched populations in massive globular clusters are critically compared to the relevant constraining observations. Among accretion of helium-rich material by pre-existing stars, star formation out of ejecta from massive AGB stars or from fast rotating massive stars, and pollution by Population III stars, only the AGB option appears to be viable. Accretion or star formation out of outflowing disks would result in a spread of helium abundances, thus failing to produce the distinct, chemically homogeneous sub-populations such as those in the clusters $\omega$ Cen and NGC 2808. Pollution by Population III stars would fail to produce sub-populations selectively enriched in helium, but maintaining the same abundance of heavy elements. Still, it is argued that for the AGB option to work two conditions should be satisfied: i) AGB stars experiencing the hot bottom burning process (i.e., those more massive than $\sim 3 \msun$) should rapidly eject their envelope upon arrival on the AGB, thus experiencing just a few third dredge-up episodes, and ii) clusters with multiple, helium enriched populations should be the remnants of much more massive systems, such as nucleated dwarf galaxies, as indeed widely assumed.

9 pages, no figures, accepted for publication on MNRAS

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