Evaluating Helium Varations By Modeling Red Giant Branch Bump of Large Magellanic Cluster NGC 1978

Author(s):  
Xin Ji ◽  
Chengyuan Li ◽  
Licai Deng

Abstract Many evidence show that the Multiple Population (MP) features ex- ist not only in the old Galactic globular clusters but also in the intermediate-age clusters in the Megallanic Clouds (MCs), which are characterized by star-to-star abundance scatter of several elements, including Helium (He). The photometric properties of the red giant branch bump (RGBB) are proved to be related to the variation in helium abundances of the member stars of the star clusters. We use the “Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics” (MESA) stellar evolution code to calculate the evolution sequences of stars along the red giant branch with changing helium content. Following the RGB sequences, we then generate a lu- minosity function of the RGB stars within the grid of input helium abundances, which are compared with the observational data of an intermediate-age MC cluster NGC 1978. The result of the current study reveals that the star to star helium abundance variation is 0.03.

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 590-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur N. Cox

For many years there has been a confrontation between stellar evolution and pulsation theories concerning the masses, luminosities, and compositions of the horizontal branch RR Lyrae variables. Masses obtained by Cox, Hodson & Clancy (CHC, 1983) were very low, but Kovacs (1985) and later Kovacs & Buchler (1988) suggested somewhat larger ones. Even later Simon & Cox (1991) verified CHC results, though still using the Los Alamos opacities. Petersen (1991, 1992) has also discussed this mass problem in some detail. The persistent discrepancy of 0.1 Mʘ or more between the evolution and pulsation masses was mostly ignored because neither theory could find any significant flaw in its analysis. Cox (1991), Kovacs, Buchler & Marom (1991), and Kovacs, Buchler, Marom, Iglesias & Rogers (1992) finally showed that larger double-mode pulsation masses, are consistent with evolution calculations to reproduce color-magnitude diagrams of globular clusters. Evolution tracks by many for years, especially the recent ones by Lee, Demarque & Zinn (1990), did require a much lower primordial helium abundance near the big bang value near Y = 0.23, and now this value, slightly enhanced by deep convection dredge-up in the earlier red giant stage, is also found to be appropriate for pulsation studies.


1984 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 123-138
Author(s):  
R.D. Cannon

This review will attempt to do two things: (i) discuss some of the data which are available for testing the theory of evolution of low mass stars, and (ii) point out some problem areas where observations and theory do not seem to agree very well. This is of course too vast a field of research to be covered in one brief review, so I shall concentrate on one particular aspect, namely the study of star clusters and especially their colour-magnitude (CM) diagrams. Star clusters provide large samples of stars at the same distance and with the same age, and the CM diagram gives the easiest way of comparing theoretical predictions with observations, although crucial evidence is also provided by spectroscopic abundance analyses and studies of variable stars. Since this is primarily a review of observational data it is natural to divide it into two parts: (i) galactic globular clusters, and (ii) old and intermediate-age open clusters. Some additional evidence comes from Local Group galaxies, especially now that CM diagrams which reach the old main sequence are becoming available. For each class of cluster I shall consider successive stages of evolution from the main sequence, up the hydrogen-burning red giant branch, and through the helium-burning giant phase.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S266) ◽  
pp. 326-332
Author(s):  
S. Villanova ◽  
G. Piotto ◽  
A. F. Marino ◽  
A. P. Milone ◽  
A. Bellini ◽  
...  

AbstractWe 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.


2016 ◽  
Vol 152 (1) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian I. Johnson ◽  
Nelson Caldwell ◽  
R. Michael Rich ◽  
Catherine A. Pilachowski ◽  
Tiffany Hsyu

2011 ◽  
Vol 527 ◽  
pp. A59 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Cassisi ◽  
A. Marín-Franch ◽  
M. Salaris ◽  
A. Aparicio ◽  
M. Monelli ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S258) ◽  
pp. 197-208
Author(s):  
Peter B. Stetson

AbstractClassical broad-band photometry can provide direct comparisons of star clusters both with each other and with theoretical models of stellar evolution. The confidence with which conclusions can be drawn is often limited by the accuracy of the measurements. The present work is part of a long-term attempt to improve photometric calibrations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 640 ◽  
pp. A87 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mucciarelli ◽  
P. Bonifacio

We analysed red giant branch stars in 16 Galactic globular clusters, computing their atmospheric parameters both from the photometry and from excitation and ionisation balances. The spectroscopic parameters are lower than the photometric ones and this discrepancy increases with decreasing metallicity, reaching differences of ~350 K in effective temperature and ~1 dex in surface gravity at [Fe/H] ~ –2.5 dex. We demonstrate that the spectroscopic parameters are inconsistent with the position of the stars in the colour-magnitude diagram, providing overly low temperatures and gravities, and predicting that the stars are up to about 2.5 magnitudes brighter than the observed magnitudes. The parameter discrepancy is likely due to inadequacies in the adopted physics; in particular the assumption of a one-dimensional geometry could be the origin of the observed slope between iron abundances and excitation potential that leads to low temperatures. However, the current modelling of 3D/NLTE radiative transfer for giant stars seems to be unable to totally erase this slope. We conclude that the spectroscopic parameters are incorrect for metallicity lower than –1.5 dex and that photometric temperatures and gravities should be adopted for these red giant stars. We provide a simple relation to correct the spectroscopic temperatures in order to put them onto a photometric scale.


Author(s):  
C. Aguilera-Gómez ◽  
L. Monaco ◽  
A. Mucciarelli ◽  
M. Salaris ◽  
S. Villanova ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document