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Register a new userAn Extragalactic Chromosome Map: The intermediate age SMC Cluster Lindsay 1
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S. Saracino
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The discovery of star-to-star abundance variations (a.k.a. multiple populations - MPs) within globular clusters (GCs), which are generally not found in the field or in lower mass open clusters, has led to a search for the unique property of GCs that allow them to host this phenomenon. Recent studies have shown that MPs are not limited to the ancient GCs but are also found in massive clusters with ages down to (at least) 2 Gyr. This finding is important for understanding the physics of the MP phenomenon, as these young clusters can provide much stronger constraints (e.g. on potential age spreads within the clusters) than older ones. However, a direct comparison between ancient GCs and intermediate clusters has not yet been possible due to the different filters adopted in their studies. Here we present new HST UV photometry of the 7.5 Gyr, massive SMC cluster, Lindsay 1, in order to compare its pseudo colour-colour diagram to that of Galactic GCs. We find that they are almost identical and conclude that the MPs phenomenon is the same, regardless of cluster age and host galaxy.
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Lindsay 1 is an intermediate age (approx 8 Gyr) massive cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Using VLT FORS2 spectra of 16 probable cluster members on the lower RGB of the cluster, we measure CN and CH band strengths (at 3883 and 4300 Angstroms respectively), along with carbon and nitrogen abundances and find that a sub-population of stars has significant nitrogen enrichment. A lack of spread in carbon abundances excludes evolutionary mixing as the source of this enrichment, so we conclude that this is evidence of multiple populations. Therefore, L1 is the youngest cluster to show such variations, implying that the process triggering the onset of multiple populations must operate until at least redshift ~1.
In this paper we analyse the evolutionary status and properties of the old open cluster NGC 2355, located in the Galactic anticentre direction, as a part of the long term programme BOCCE. NGC 2355 was observed with LBC@LBT using the Bessel $B$, $V$, and $I_c$ filters. The cluster parameters have been obtained using the synthetic colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) method, as done in other papers of this series. Additional spectroscopic observations with FIES@NOT of three giant stars were used to determine the chemical properties of the cluster. Our analysis shows that NGC 2355 has metallicity slightly less than solar, with [Fe/H]$=-0.06$ dex, age between 0.8 and 1 Gyr, reddening $E(B-V)$ in the range 0.14 and 0.19 mag, and distance modulus $(m-M)_0$ of about 11 mag. We also investigated the abundances of O, Na, Al, $alpha$, iron-peak, and neutron capture elements, showing that NGC 2355 falls within the abundance distribution of similar clusters (same age and metallicity). The Galactocentric distance of NGC~2355 places it at the border between two regimes of metallicity distribution; this makes it an important cluster for the study of the chemical properties and evolution of the disc.
This work presents the first long-term photometric variability survey of the intermediate-age open cluster NGC 559. Time-series V band photometric observations on 40 nights taken over more than three years with three different telescopes are analyzed to search for variable stars in the cluster. We investigate the data for the periodicity analysis and reveal 70 variable stars including 67 periodic variables in the target field, all of them are newly discovered. The membership analysis of the periodic variables reveal that 30 of them belong to the cluster and remaining 37 are identified as field variables. Out of the 67 periodic variables, 48 are short-period (P<1 day) variables and 19 are long-period (P>1 day) variables. The variable stars have periodicity between 3 hours to 41 days and their brightness ranges from V = 10.9 to 19.3 mag. The periodic variables belonging to the cluster are then classified into different variability types on the basis of observational properties such as shape of the light curves, periods, amplitudes, as well as their positions in the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram. As a result, we identify one Algol type eclipsing binary, one possible blue straggler star, 3 slowly pulsating B type stars, 5 rotational variables, 11 non-pulsating variables, 2 FKCOM variables and remaining 7 are characterized as miscellaneous variables. We also identify three Eclipsing Binary stars (EBs) belonging to the field star population. The PHOEBE package is used to analyse the light curve of all four EBs in order to determine the parameters of the binary systems such as masses, temperatures and radii.
We present structural parameters for the seven intermediate-age and old star clusters NGC121, Lindsay 1, Kron 3, NGC339, NGC416, Lindsay 38, and NGC419 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We fit King profiles and Elson, Fall, and Freeman profiles to both surface-brightness and star count data taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Clusters older than 1 Gyr show a spread in cluster core radii that increases with age, while the youngest clusters have relatively compact cores. No evidence for post core collapse clusters was found. We find no correlation between core radius and distance from the SMC center, although consistent with other studies of dwarf galaxies, some relatively old and massive clusters have low densities. The oldest SMC star cluster, the only globular NGC121, is the most elliptical object of the studied clusters. No correlation is seen between ellipticity and distance from the SMC center. The structures of these massive intermediate-age (1-8 Gyr) SMC star clusters thus appear to primarily result from internal evolutionary processes.
Pismis 18 is a moderately populated, intermediate-age open cluster located within the solar circle at a Galactocentric distance of about 7 kpc. Few open clusters have been studied in detail in the inner disc region before the Gaia-ESO Survey. New data from the Gaia-ESO Survey allowed us to conduct an extended radial velocity membership study as well as spectroscopic metallicity and detailed chemical abundance measurements for this cluster. Gaia-ESO Survey data for 142 potential members, lying on the upper MS and on the red clump, yielded radial velocity measurements, which, together with proper motion measurements from the Gaia DR2, were used to determine the systemic velocity of the cluster and membership of individual stars. Photometry from Gaia DR2 was used to re-determine cluster parameters based on high confidence member stars only. Cluster abundance measurements of six radial-velocity member stars with UVES high-resolution spectroscopy are presented for 23 elements. According to the new estimates, based on high confidence members, Pismis 18 has an age of $700^{+40}_{-50}$ Myr, interstellar reddening of E(B-V) = $0.562^{+0.012}_{-0.026}$ mag and a de-reddened distance modulus of $DM_0 = 11.96^{+0.10}_{-0.24}$ mag. The median metallicity of the cluster (using the six UVES stars) is [Fe/H] = $+0.23 pm 0.05$ dex, with [$alpha$/Fe]= $0.07 pm 0.13$ and a slight enhancement of s- and r- neutron-capture elements. With the present work, we fully characterized the open cluster Pismis 18, confirming its present location in the inner disc. We estimated a younger age than the previous literature values and gave, for the first time, its metallicity and its detailed abundances. Its [$alpha$/Fe] and [s-process/Fe], both slightly super-solar, are in agreement with other inner-disc open clusters observed by the Gaia-ESO survey. [abridged]
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