A Spectroscopic and Photometric Exploration of the C/M Ratio in the Disk of M31

We explore the ratio (C/M) of carbon-rich to oxygen-rich thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch(TP-AGB) stars in the disk of M31 using a combination of moderate-resolution optical spectroscopy from the Spectroscopic Landscape of Andromedas Stellar Halo (SPLASH) survey and six-filter Hubble Space Telescope photometry from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) survey.Carbon stars were identified spectroscopically. Oxygen-rich M-stars were identifed using three different photometric definitions designed to mimic, and thus evaluate, selection techniques common in the literature. We calculate the C/M ratio as a function of galactocentric radius, present-day gas-phase oxygen abundance, stellar metallicity, age (via proxy defined as the ratio of TP-AGB stars to red giant branch, RGB, stars), and mean star formation rate over the last 400 Myr. We find statistically significant correlations between log(C/M) and all parameters. These trends are consistent across different M-star selection methods, though the fiducial values change. Of particular note is our observed relationship between log(C/M) and stellar metallicity, which is fully consistent with the trend seen across Local Group satellite galaxies. The fact that this trend persists in stellar populations with very different star formation histories indicates that the C/M ratio is governed by stellar properties alone.

The Pattern of CN, O, and Na Inhomogeneities on the Red Giant Branch of Messier 5

Data from the literature are used to explore the relation between $lambda$3883 CN band strength and the sodium and oxygen abundances of red giants in the globular cluster Messier 5. Although there is a broad tendency for CN-strong giants in this cluster to have higher sodium abundances and lower oxygen abundances than CN-weak giants of comparable absolute magnitude there are some secondary features in these relations. The oxygen abundance [O/Fe] shows a greater range (0.6-0.7 dex) among the CN-strong giants than the CN-weak giants (approximately 0.3 dex). By contrast [Na/Fe] shows a 0.6-0.7 dex range among the CN-weak giants, but a more limited range of 0.3-0.4 dex among the CN-strong giants. The $lambda$3883 CN band anticorrelates in strength with [O/Fe] among the CN-strong giants, but there is little, if any, such trend among the CN-weak giants. In contrast, the CN band strength may show a modest correlation with [Na/Fe] among the CN-weak giants, but there is little evidence for such among the CN-strong giants. Neither oxygen or sodium abundance define a continuous relation with CN band strength. Instead, the CN-strong and CN-weak giants overlap in their sodium and possibly their oxygen abundances. At oxygen abundances of [O/Fe] = 0.20 +/- 0.05 it is possible to have both CN-weak and CN-strong giants, although there may be a discontinuity in [O/Fe] between these two groups of stars that has been smeared out by observational errors. Both CN-weak and CN-strong giants populate the sodium abundance range 0.4 <= [Na/Fe] <= 0.6. Messier 5 may be displaying the results of spatially heterogeneous chemical self-enrichment.

HST/WFC3 Observations of Low-Mass Globular Clusters AM 4 and Palomar 13: Physical Properties and Implications for Mass Loss

We investigate the loss of low-mass stars in two of the faintest globular clusters known, AM 4 and Palomar 13 (Pal 13), using HST/WFC3 F606W and F814W photometry. To determine the physical properties of each cluster --- age, mass, metallicity, extinction, present day mass function (MF) --- we use the maximum likelihood color-magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting program MATCH and the Dartmouth, Padova and BaSTI stellar evolution models. For AM 4, the Dartmouth models provide the best match to the CMD and yield an age of >13 Gyr, metallicity log Z/Z_solar = -1.68 +/- 0.08, a distance modulus (m-M)_V = 17.47 +/- 0.03 and reddening A_V = 0.19 +/- 0.02. For Pal 13 the Dartmouth models give an age of 13.4 +/- 0.5 Gyr, log Z/Z_solar = -1.55 +/- 0.06, (m-M)_V = 17.17 +/- 0.02 and A_V = 0.43 +/- 0.01. We find that the systematic uncertainties due to choice in assumed stellar model greatly exceed the random uncertainties, highlighting the importance of using multiple stellar models when analyzing stellar populations. Assuming a single-sloped power law MF, we find that AM 4 and Pal 13 have spectral indices alpha = +0.68 +/- 0.34 and alpha = -1.67 +/- 0.25 (where a Salpeter MF has alpha = +1.35), respectively. Comparing our derived slopes with literature measurements of cluster integrated magnitude (M_V) and MF slope indicates that AM 4 is an outlier. Its MF slope is substantially steeper than clusters of comparable luminosity, while Pal 13 has a MF in line with the general trend. We discuss both primordial and dynamical origins for the unusual MF slope of AM 4 and tentatively favor the dynamical scenario. However, MF slopes of more low luminosity clusters are needed to verify this hypothesis.