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The Self-Enrichment of Galactic Halo Globular Clusters: the mass-metallicity relation

G. Parmentier·G. Gilmore
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Abstract

We discuss the existence of a mass-metallicity relation among galactic halo globular clusters. The lack of any luminosity-metallicity correlation in globular cluster systems has been used as an argument against self-enrichment models of cluster formation. We show that such a relation is statistically present among the galactic Old Halo globulars. This observational correlation implies that the least massive old clusters are the most metal-rich. This is in contradiction with the idea that, if globular clusters were self-enriched systems, the most metal-rich clusters would also be the most massive ones. We further show that this anti-correlation is as predicted by self-enrichment models.

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G. Parmentier, G. Gilmore. 2001-08-28. The Self-Enrichment of Galactic Halo Globular Clusters: the mass-metallicity relation. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A20011173

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