548 research outputs found
High resolution near-IR spectra of NGC 6624 and NGC 6569
We present the first abundances analysis based on high-resolution infrared
(IR) echelle spectra of NGC 6569 and NGC 6624, two moderately reddened globular
clusters located in the outer bulge of the Galaxy. We find
[Fe/H]=-0.790.02 dex and [Fe/H]=-0.690.02 dex for NGC 6569 and NGC
6624, respectively and an average -elements enhancement of
+0.430.02 dex and +0.390.02 dex, consistent with previous
measurements on other metal-rich Bulge clusters. We measure accurate radial
velocities of and
and velocity dispersions of and for NGC 6569 and NGC 6624, respectively. Finally, we find very low
isotopics ratio (7 in NGC 6624 and 5 in NGC
6569), confirming the presence extra-mixing mechanisms during the red giant
branch evolution phase.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication on MNRA
Detailed abundances for M giants in two inner bulge fields from Infrared Spectroscopy
We report abundance analysis for 30 M giant stars in two inner Galactic bulge
fields at (l,b)=(0,-1.75) deg and at (l,b)=(1,-2.65) deg, based on R=25,000
infrared spectroscopy from 1.5-1.8um using NIRSPEC at the Keck II telescope. We
find iron abundances of =-0.16 +/- 0.03 dex with a 1-sigma dispersion
of 0.12 +/- 0.02 and =-0.21 +/- 0.02 dex, with a 1-sigma dispersion of
0.09+/- 0.016 for the (l,b)=(0,-1.75) and (l,b)=(1,-2.65) deg fields,
respectively. In agreement with all prior studies, we find enhanced [alpha/Fe]
of +0.3 dex. We confirm the lack of any major vertical abundance or composition
gradient in the innermost ~600 pc between Baade's window and 150 pc from the
Galactic plane. We also confirm that the known enhancement of alpha elements
observed between 500 and 1000 pc from the nucleus is also present over the
volume of the inner bulge and may therefore be presumed to be a general
characteristic of bulge/bar stars within 1 kpc of the Galactic Center.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 27 pages
manuscript format, 6 figure
Near-Infrared photometry and spectroscopy of NGC 6539 and UKS 1: two intermediate metallicity Bulge Globular Clusters
Using the SofI imager at ESO/NTT and NIRSPEC spectrograph at KeckII, we have
obtained J,K images and echelle spectra covering the range 1.5 - 1.8 micron for
the intermediate metallicity Bulge globular clusters NGC6539 and UKS1. We find
[Fe/H]=-0.76 and -0.78, respectively, and an average alpha-enhancement of +0.44
dex and +0.31 dex, consistent with previous measurements of metal rich Bulge
clusters, and favoring the scenario of rapid chemical enrichment. We also
measure very low 12C/13C=4.5 +/-1 isotopic ratios in both clusters, suggesting
that extra-mixing mechanisms due to cool bottom processing are at work during
the evolution along the Red Giant Branch. Finally, we measure accurate radial
velocities of =+31 +/-4Km/s and =+57 +/-6Km/s and velocity dispersion
of about 8 Km/s and 11 Km/s for NGC6539 and UKS1, respectively.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication at MNRA
High resolution infrared spectra of NGC 6440 and NGC 6441: two massive Bulge Globular Clusters
Using the NIRSPEC spectrograph at Keck II, we have obtained infrared echelle
spectra covering the 1.5-1.8 micron range for giant stars in the massive bulge
globular clusters NGC6440 and NGC6441. We report the first high dispersion
abundance for NGC6440, [Fe/H]=-0.56+/-0.02 and we find [Fe/H]=-0.50+/-0.02 for
the blue HB cluster NGC6441. We measure an average -enhancement of
~+0.3 dex in both clusters, consistent with previous measurements of other
metal rich bulge clusters, and favoring the scenario of a rapid bulge formation
and chemical enrichment. We also measure very low 12C/13C isotopic ratios
(~5+/- 1), suggesting that extra-mixing mechanisms are at work during evolution
along the Red Giant Branch also in the high metallicity regime. We also measure
Al abundances, finding average [Al/Fe]=0.45+/-0.02 and [Al/Fe]=0.52+/-0.02 in
NGC6440 and NGC6441, respectively, and some Mg-Al anti-correlation in NGC6441.
We also measure radial velocities vr=-76+/-3 km/s and vr=+14+/-3 km/s and
velocity dispersions sigma=9+/-2 km/s and sigma=10+/-2 km/s, in NGC6440 and
NGC6441, respectively.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Stellar and gaseous abundances in M82
The near infrared (IR) absorption spectra of starburst galaxies show several
atomic and molecular lines from red supergiants which can be used to infer
reliable stellar abundances. The metals locked in stars give a picture of the
galaxy metallicity prior to the last burst of star formation. The enrichment of
the new generation of stars born in the last burst can be traced by measuring
the hot gas in the X-rays. For the first time detailed stellar abundances in
the nuclear region of the starburst galaxy M82 have been obtained. They are
compared with those of the hot gas as derived from an accurate re-analysis of
the XMM and Chandra nuclear X-ray spectra. The cool stars and the hot gas
suggest [Fe/H]=-0.35+/-0.2 dex, and an overall [Si,Mg/Fe] enhancement by 0.4
and 0.5 dex, respectively. This is consistent with a major chemical enrichment
by SNe II explosions in recursive bursts on short timescales. Oxygen is more
puzzling to interpret since it is enhanced by 0.3 dex in stars and depleted by
0.2 dex in the hot gas. None of the standard enrichment scenarios can fully
explain such a behavior when compared with the other alpha-elements.Comment: APJ, in pres
Transformations between the theoretical and observational planes in the HST-NICMOS and WFPC2 photometric systems
Color-temperature relations and bolometric corrections in the HST-NICMOS
F1110W, F160W and F222M and in the WFPC2 F439W, F555W and F814W photometric
systems, using two different sets of model atmospheres, have been derived. This
database of homogeneous, self-consistent transformations between the
theoretical and observational planes also allows combinations of visual and
infrared quantities, without any further transformation between the two
different photometric systems. The behavior of the inferred quantities with
varying the stellar parameters, the adopted model atmospheres and the
instrumental configurations are investigated. Suitable relations to transform
colors and bolometric corrections from HST to ground-based photometric systems
are also provided.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figure
High-resolution CRIRES spectra of Terzan1: a metal-poor globular cluster toward the inner bulge
Containing the oldest stars in the Galaxy, globular clusters toward the bulge
can be used to trace its dynamical and chemical evolution. In the bulge
direction, there are ~50 clusters, but only about 20% have been subject of
high-resolution spectroscopic investigations. So far, the sample observed at
high resolution spans a moderate-to-high metallicity regime. In this sample,
however, very few are located in the innermost region (1.5\,Kpc and
). To constrain the chemical evolution enrichment of the
innermost region of Galaxy, accurate abundances and abundance patterns of key
elements based on high-resolution spectroscopy are necessary. Here we present
the results we obtained for Terzan 1, a metal-poor cluster located in the
innermost bulge region. Using the near-infrared spectrograph CRIRES at ESO/VLT,
we obtained high-resolution (R50,000) H-band spectra of 16 bright
giant stars in the innermost region () of Terzan1. Full spectral
synthesis techniques and equivalent width measurements of selected lines,
isolated and free of significant blending and/or contamination by telluric
lines, allowed accurate chemical abundances and radial velocities to be
derived. Fifteen out of 16 observed stars are likely cluster members, with an
average heliocentric radial velocity of +571.8\,km/s and mean iron
abundance of [Fe/H]=--1.260.03\,dex. For these stars we measured some
[/Fe] abundance ratios, finding average values of
[O/Fe]=+0.390.02\,dex, [Mg/Fe]=+0.420.02\,dex,
[Si/Fe]=+0.310.04\,dex, and [Ti/Fe]=+0.150.04\,dex The
enhancement (\,dex) found in the observed giant stars of Terzan1
is consistent with previous measurements on other, more metal-rich bulge
clusters, which suggests a rapid chemical enrichment.Comment: 7, pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication on A&
The First Detailed Abundances for M giants in Baade's Window from Infrared Spectroscopy
We report the first abundance analysis of 14 M giant stars in the Galactic
bulge, based on R=25,000 infrared spectroscopy (1.5-1.8um) using NIRSPEC at the
Keck II telescope. Because some of the bulge M giants reach high luminosities
and have very late spectral type, it has been suggested that they are the
progeny of only the most metal rich bulge stars, or possibly members of a
younger bulge population. We find the iron abundance and composition of the M
giants are similar to those of the K giants that have abundances determined
from optical high resolution spectroscopy: =-0.190 +/- 0.020 with a
1-sigma dispersion of 0.08 +/- 0.015. Comparing our bulge M giants to a control
sample of local disk M giants in the Solar vicinity, we find the bulge stars
are enhanced in alpha elements at the level of +0.3 dex relative to the Solar
composition stars, consistent with other studies of bulge globular clusters and
field stars. This small sample shows no dependence of spectral type on
metallicity, nor is there any indication that the M giants are the evolved
members of a subset of the bulge population endowed with special
characteristics such as relative youth or high metallicity. We also find low
12C/13C < 10, confirming the prsence of extra-mixing processes during the red
gaint phase of evolutionComment: 19 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Detection of ionized gas in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae
We report the detection of ionized intracluster gas in the globular cluster
47 Tucanae. Pulsars in this cluster with a negative period derivative, which
must lie in the distant half of the cluster, have significantly higher measured
integrated electron column densities than the pulsars with a positive period
derivative. We derive the plasma density within the central few pc of the
cluster using two different methods which yield consistent values. Our best
estimate of n_e = (0.067+-0.015)/cm^3 is about 100 times the free electron
density of the ISM in the vicinity of 47 Tucanae, and the ionized gas is
probably the dominant component of the intracluster medium.Comment: 5 pages, 3 included figures, accepted for publication by ApJ Letter
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