No Arabic abstract
We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of horizontal branch stars in the globular cluster NGC 3201. We collected optical (4580-5330 A), high resolution (~34,000), high signal-to-noise ratio (~200) spectra for eleven RR Lyrae stars and one red horizontal branch star with the multifiber spectrograph M2FS at the 6.5m Magellan telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory. From measured equivalent widths we derived atmospheric parameters and abundance ratios for {alpha} (Mg, Ca, Ti), iron peak (Sc, Cr, Ni, Zn) and s-process (Y) elements. We found that NGC 3201 is a homogeneous, mono-metallic ([Fe/H]=-1.47 +- 0.04), {alpha}-enhanced ([{alpha}/Fe]=0.37 +- 0.04) cluster. The relative abundances of the iron peak and s-process elements were found to be consistent with solar values. In comparison with other large stellar samples, NGC 3201 RR Lyraes have similar chemical enrichment histories as do those of other old (t>10 Gyr) Halo components (globular clusters, red giants, blue and red horizontal branch stars, RR Lyraes). We also provided a new average radial velocity estimate for NGC 3201 by using a template velocity curve to overcome the limit of single epoch measurements of variable stars: Vrad=494 +- 2 km s-1({sigma}=8 km s-1).
We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of RR Lyrae (RRL) variables in the globular cluster NGC 5139 (omega Cen). We collected optical (4580-5330 A), high resolution (R = 34,000), high signal-to-noise ratio (200) spectra for 113 RRLs with the multi-fiber spectrograph M2FS at the Magellan/Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We also analysed high resolution (R = 26,000) spectra for 122 RRLs collected with FLAMES/GIRAFFE at the VLT, available in the ESO archive. The current sample doubles the literature abundances of cluster and field RRLs in the Milky Way based on high resolution spectra. Equivalent width measurements were used to estimate atmospheric parameters, iron, and abundance ratios for alpha (Mg, Ca, Ti), iron peak (Sc, Cr, Ni, Zn), and s-process (Y) elements. We confirm that omega Cen is a complex cluster, characterised by a large spread in the iron content: -2.58 < [Fe/H] < -0.85. We estimated the average cluster abundance as [Fe/H] = -1.80 +- 0.03, with sigma = 0.33 dex. Our findings also suggest that two different RRL populations coexist in the cluster. The former is more metal-poor ([Fe/H] < -1.5), with almost solar abundance of Y. The latter is less numerous, more metal-rich, and yttrium enhanced ([Y/Fe] > 0.4). This peculiar bimodal enrichment only shows up in the s-process element, and it is not observed among lighter elements, whose [X/Fe] ratios are typical for Galactic globular clusters.
We present a detailed abundance study of 11 RR Lyrae ab-type variables: AS Vir, BS Aps, CD Vel, DT Hya, RV Oct, TY Gru, UV Oct, V1645 Sgr, WY Ant, XZ Aps, and Z Mic.High resolution and high S/N echelle spectra of these variables were obtained with 2.5 m du Pont telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory. We obtained more than 2300 spectra, roughly 200 spectra per star, distributed more or less uniformly throughout the pulsational cycles. A new method has been developed to obtain initial effective temperature of our sample stars at a specific pulsational phase. We find that the abundance ratios are generally consistent with those of similar metallicity field stars in different evolutionary states and throughout the pulsational cycles for RR Lyrae stars. TY Gru remains the only n-capture enriched star among the RRab in our sample. A new relation is found between microturbulence and effective temperature among stars of the HB population. In addition, the variation of microturbulence as a function of phase is empirically shown to be similar to the theoretical variation. Finally, we conclude that the derived teffand log g values of our sample stars follow the general trend of a single mass evolutionary track.
The serendipitous discovery by Preston and colleagues of the neutron-capture-enhanced RR Lyrae variable star TY Gru (a.k.a. CS 22881-071 in the HK survey of very metal-poor halo stars) has resulted in a growing set of initiatives on the chemical compositions of RR Lyrae stars and their application to broader topics in Galactic halo structure. Here we summarize the main aspects of our work on TY Gru, including a new discussion of our search for possible orbital motion of this star around a putative unseen companion. Then we describe a few of the results of a newly-completed intensive spectroscopic investigation of 10 additional field RR Lyr stars. We finish by outlining current projects that seek to contrast the atmospheres and chemical compositions of RRc stars with those of the RRab stars, and that employ a much larger RRab sample in a chemo-dynamical study of Galactic halo RR Lyr.
Recently, Kundu et al (2019) reported that the globular cluster NGC 5024 (M53) possesses five extra-tidal RR Lyrae. In fact, four of them were instead known members of a nearby globular cluster NGC 5053. The status of the remaining extra-tidal RR Lyrae is controversial depending on the adopted tidal radius of NGC 5024. We have also searched for additional extra-tidal RR Lyrae within an area of $sim8$~deg$^2$ covering both globular clusters. This includes other known RR Lyrae within the search area, as well as stars that fall within the expected range of magnitudes and colors for RR Lyrae (and yet outside the cutoff of 2/3 of the tidal radii of each globular clusters for something to be called extra-tidal) if they were extra-tidal RR Lyrae candidates for NGC 5024 or NGC 5053. Based on the the proper motion information and their locations on the color-magnitude diagram, none of the known RR Lyrae belong to the extra-tidal RR Lyrae of either globular clusters. In the cases where the stars satisfied the magnitude and color ranges of RR Lyrae, analysis of time series data taken from the Zwicky Transient Facility do not reveal periodicities, suggesting that none of these stars are RR Lyrae. We conclude that there are no extra-tidal RR Lyrae associated with either NGC 5024 or NGC 5053 located within our search area.
With a high value of heliocentric radial velocity, a retrograde orbit, and being suspected to have an extragalactic origin, NGC 3201 is an interesting globular cluster for kinematical studies. Our purpose is to calculate the relative proper motions (PMs) and membership probability for the stars in the wide region of globular cluster NGC 3201. Proper motion based membership probabilities are used to isolate the cluster sample from the field stars. The membership catalogue will help address the question of chemical inhomogeneity in the cluster. Archive CCD data taken with a wide-field imager (WFI) mounted on the ESO 2.2m telescope are reduced using the high-precision astrometric software developed by Anderson et al. for the WFI images. The epoch gap between the two observational runs is $sim$14.3 years. To standardize the $BVI$ photometry, Stetsons secondary standard stars are used. The CCD data with an epoch gap of $sim$14.3 years enables us to decontaminate the cluster stars from field stars efficiently. The median precision of PMs is better than $sim$0.8 mas~yr$^{-1}$ for stars having $V<$18 mag that increases up to $sim$1.5 mas~yr$^{-1}$ for stars with $18<V<20$ mag. Kinematic membership probabilities are calculated using proper motions for stars brighter than $Vsim$20 mag. An electronic catalogue of positions, relative PMs, $BVI$ magnitudes and membership probabilities in $sim$19.7$times$17 arcmin$^2$ region of NGC 3201 is presented. We use our membership catalogue to identify probable cluster members among the known variables and $X$-ray sources in the direction of NGC 3201.