New insights on the origin of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters

In order to investigate the origin of multiple stellar populations in the halo and bulge of the Milky Way, we have constructed chemical evolution models for the low-mass proto-Galactic subsystems such as globular clusters (GCs). Unlike previous studies, we assume that supernova blast waves undergo blowout without expelling the pre-enriched gas, while relatively slow winds of massive stars (WMS), together with the winds and ejecta from low and intermediate mass asymptotic-giant-branch stars (AGBs), are all locally retained in these less massive systems. We find that the observed Na-O anti-correlation in metal-poor GCs can be reproduced, when multiple episodes of starbursts are allowed to continue in these subsystems. Specific star formation history (SFH) with decreasing time intervals between the stellar generations, however, is required to obtain this result, which is in good agreement with the parameters obtained from our stellar evolution models for the horizontal-branch. The "mass budget problem" is also much alleviated by our models without ad-hoc assumptions on star formation efficiency (SFE) and initial mass function (IMF). We also applied these models to investigate the origin of super-helium-rich red clump stars in the metal-rich bulge as recently suggested by Lee et al. (2015). We find that chemical enrichments by the WMS can naturally reproduce the required helium enhancement (dY/dZ = 6) for the second generation stars. Disruption of proto-GCs in a hierarchical merging paradigm would have provided helium enhanced stars to the bulge field.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the IAU Symposium 334 "Rediscovering our Galaxy", Potsdam, 10-14 July 201

Enrichment by supernovae in globular clusters with multiple populations

The most massive globular cluster in the Milky Way, omega Centauri, is thought to be the remaining core of a disrupted dwarf galaxy, as expected within the model of hierarchical merging. It contains several stellar populations having different heavy elemental abundances supplied by supernovae -- a process known as metal enrichment. Although M22 appears to be similar to omega Cen, other peculiar globular clusters do not. Therefore omega Cen and M22 are viewed as exceptional, and the presence of chemical inhomogeneities in other clusters is seen as `pollution' from the intermediate-mass asymptotic-giant-branch stars expected in normal globular clusters. Here we report Ca abundances for seven globular clusters and compare them to omega Cen. Calcium and other heavy elements can only be supplied through numerous supernovae explosions of massive stars in these stellar systems, but the gravitational potentials of the present-day clusters cannot preserve most of the ejecta from such explosions. We conclude that these globular clusters, like omega Cen, are most probably the relics of more massive primeval dwarf galaxies that merged and disrupted to form the proto-Galaxy.Comment: Published in Natur

Explaining the multiple populations in globular clusters by multiple episodes of star formation and enrichment without gas expulsion from massive star feedback

In order to investigate the origin of multiple stellar populations found in globular clusters (GCs) in the halo and bulge of the Milky Way, we have constructed chemical evolution models for their putative low-mass progenitors. In light of recent theoretical developments, we assume that supernova blast waves undergo blowout without expelling the pre-enriched ambient gas, while relatively slow winds of massive stars, together with the winds and ejecta from low to high mass asymptotic-giant-branch stars, are all locally retained in these less massive systems. Interestingly, we find that the observed Na-O anti-correlations in metal-poor GCs can be reproduced when multiple episodes of starburst and enrichment are allowed to continue in these subsystems. A specific form of star formation history with decreasing time intervals between the successive stellar generations, however, is required to obtain this result, which is in good agreement with the parameters obtained from synthetic horizontal-branch models. The "mass budget problem" is also much alleviated by our models without ad-hoc assumptions on star formation efficiency, initial mass function, and the preferential loss of first-generation stars. We also applied these models to investigate the origin of super-He-rich red clump stars in the metal-rich bulge suggested by Lee et al. (2015). We find that chemical enrichment by the winds of massive stars can naturally reproduce the required strong He enhancement in metal-rich subsystems. Our results further underscore that gas expulsion or retention is a key factor in understanding the multiple populations in GCs.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Star Formation Histories of Globular Clusters with Multiple Populations. I. \omega\ Cen, M22, and NGC 1851

There is increasing evidence that some massive globular clusters (GCs) host multiple stellar populations having different heavy element abundances enriched by supernovae. They usually accompany multiple red giant branches (RGBs) in the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), and are distinguished from most of the other GCs which display variations only in light element abundances. In order to investigate the star formation histories of these peculiar GCs, we have constructed synthetic CMDs for \omega\ Cen, M22, and NGC 1851. Our models are based on the updated versions of Yonsei-Yale (Y^2) isochrones and horizontal branch (HB) evolutionary tracks which include the cases of enhancements in both helium and the total CNO abundances. To estimate ages and helium abundances of subpopulations in each GC, we have compared our models with the observations on the Hess diagram by employing a \chi^2 minimization technique. We find that metal-rich subpopulations in each of these GCs are also enhanced in helium abundance, and the age differences between the metal-rich and metal-poor subpopulations are fairly small (~0.3-1.7 Gyr), even in the models with the observed variations in the total CNO content. These are required to simultaneously reproduce the observed extended HB and the splits on the main sequence, subgiant branch, and RGB. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that these GCs are the relics of more massive primeval dwarf galaxies that merged and disrupted to form the proto-Galaxy.Comment: 40 pages, 16 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Age Estimation of Extragalactic Globular Cluster Systems Using H beta Index

After taking into account, for the first time, the detailed systematic variation of horizontal-branch (HB) morphology with age and metallicity, our population synthesis models show that the integrated H beta index is significantly affected by the presence of blue HB stars. Our models indicate that the strength of the H beta index increases as much as 0.75 A due to blue HB stars. According to our models, a systematic difference between the globular cluster system in the Milky Way Galaxy and that in NGC 1399 in the H beta vs. Mg2 diagram is understood if globular cluster systems in giant elliptical galaxies are couple of billion years older, in the mean, than the Galactic counterpart.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures. Contribution to `Astrophysical Ages and Timescales' ASP Conf. Ser., Eds. T. von Hippel, N. Manset, C. Simpson, EPS files are available at http://csaweb.yonsei.ac.kr/~hclee/Hawai

The CN-CH positive correlation in the globular cluster NGC 5286

We performed low-resolution spectroscopy for the red giant stars in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 5286, which is known to show intrinsic heavy element abundance variations. We found that the observed stars in this GC are clearly divided into three subpopulations by CN index (CN-weak, CN-intermediate, and CN-strong). The CN-strong stars are also enhanced in the calcium HK' (7.4{\sigma}) and CH (5.1{\sigma}) indices, while the CN-intermediate stars show no significant difference in the strength of HK' index with CN-weak stars. From the comparison with high-resolution spectroscopic data, we found that the CN- and HK'-strong stars are also enhanced in the abundances of Fe and s-process elements. It appears, therefore, that these stars are later generation stars affected by some supernovae enrichment in addition to the asymptotic giant branch ejecta. In addition, unlike normal GCs, sample stars in NGC 5286 show the CN-CH positive correlation, strengthening our previous suggestion that this positive correlation is only discovered in GCs with heavy element abundance variations such as M22 and NGC 6273.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Ap

The Milky Way without X: An alternative interpretation of the double red clump in the Galactic bulge

The presence of two red clumps (RCs) in high latitude fields of the Milky Way bulge is interpreted as evidence for an X-shaped structure originated from the bar instability. Here we show, however, that this double RC phenomenon is more likely to be another manifestation of multiple populations observed in globular clusters (GCs) in the metal-rich regime. As in the bulge GC Terzan 5, the helium enhanced second generation stars (G2) in the classical bulge component of the Milky Way are placed on the bright RC, which is about 0.5 mag brighter than the normal RC originated from the first generation stars (G1), producing the observed double RC. In a composite bulge, where a classical bulge can coexist with a boxy pseudo bulge, our models can also reproduce key observations, such as the dependence of the double RC feature on metallicity and Galactic latitude and longitude. If confirmed by Gaia trigonometric parallax distances, this would indicate that the Milky Way bar is not sufficiently buckled to form the X-shaped structure in the bulge, and suggest that the early-type galaxies would be similarly prevailed by super-helium-rich subpopulation.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Globular clusters with the extended horizontal-branch as remaining cores of galaxy building blocks

The relics of building blocks that made stellar halo and bulge are yet to be discovered unless they were completely disrupted throughout the history of the Galaxy. Here we suggest that about 25% of the Milky Way globular clusters have characteristics of the remaining cores of these early building blocks rather than genuine star clusters. They are clearly distinct from other normal globular clusters in the presence of extended horizontal-branch and multiple stellar populations, in mass (brightness), and most importantly in orbital kinematics. Based on this result, a three-stage formation picture of the Milky Way is suggested, which includes early mergers, collapse, and later accretion.Comment: Invited paper presented at the conference "New Quests in Stellar Astrophysics II: Ultraviolet Properties of Evolved Stellar Populations", M. Chavez, E. Bertone, D. Rosa-Gonzalez, & L. H. Rodriguez-Merino ed

Yonsei evolutionary population synthesis (YEPS). II. Spectro-photometric evolution of helium-enhanced stellar populations

The discovery of multiple stellar populations in Milky Way globular clusters (GCs) has stimulated various follow-up studies on helium-enhanced stellar populations. Here we present the evolutionary population synthesis models for the spectro-photometric evolution of simple stellar populations (SSPs) with varying initial helium abundance ($Y_{\rm ini}$). We show that $Y_{\rm ini}$ brings about {dramatic} changes in spectro-photometric properties of SSPs. Like the normal-helium SSPs, the integrated spectro-photometric evolution of helium-enhanced SSPs is also dependent on metallicity and age for a given $Y_{\rm ini}$. {We discuss the implications and prospects for the helium-enhanced populations in relation to the second-generation populations found in the Milky Way GCs.} All of the models are available at \url{http://web.yonsei.ac.kr/cosmic/data/YEPS.htm}.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 21 pages, 12 figures, 3 table

Nonlinear Color--Metallicity Relations of Globular Clusters. VI. On Calcium II Triplet Based Metallicities of Globular Clusters in Early-type Galaxies

The metallicity distribution function of globular clusters (GCs) in galaxies is a key to understanding galactic formation and evolution. The calcium II triplet (CaT) index has recently become a popular metal abundance indicator thanks to its sensitivity to GC metallicity. Here we revisit and assess the reliability of CaT as a metallicity indicator using our new stellar population synthesis simulations based on empirical, high-resolution fluxes. The model shows that the CaT strength of old ($>$ 10 Gyr) GCs is proportional to ${\rm [Fe/H]}$ below $-0.5$. In the modest metal-rich regime, however, CaT does not increase anymore with ${\rm [Fe/H]}$ due to the little contribution from coolest red giant stars to the CaT absorption. The nonlinear nature of the color--$CaT$ relation is confirmed by the observations of GCs in nearby early-type galaxies. This indicates that the CaT should be used carefully when deriving metallicities of metal-rich stellar populations. Our results offer an explanation for the observed sharp difference between the color and $CaT$ distributions of GCs in the same galaxies. We take this as an analogy to the view that metallicity--color and metallicity--Lick index nonlinearity of GCs is primarily responsible for their observed "bimodal" distributions of colors and absorption indices.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Ap