arXiv subjects

Angela Bragaglia

Publications and source records attributed to Angela Bragaglia.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Stellar population astrophysics (SPA) with the TNG: Measurement of the He I 10830Å line in the open cluster Stock 2

The precise measurement of stellar abundances plays a pivotal role in providing constraints on the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. However, before spectral lines can be employed as reliable abundance indicators, particularly for challenging elements such as helium, they must undergo thorough scrutiny. Galactic open clusters, representing well-defined single stellar populations, offer an ideal setting for unfolding the information stored in the helium spectral line feature. In this study, we characterize the profile and strength of the helium transition at around 10830Å (He 10830) in nine giant stars in the Galactic open cluster Stock 2. To remove the influence of weak blending lines near the helium feature, we calibrated their oscillator strengths ($\log gf$) by employing corresponding abundances obtained from simultaneously observed optical spectra. Our observations reveal that He 10830 in all the targets is observed in absorption, with line strengths categorized into two groups. Three stars exhibit strong absorption, including a discernible secondary component, while the remaining stars exhibit weaker absorption. The lines are in symmetry and align with or around their rest wavelengths, suggesting a stable upper chromosphere without a significant systematic mass motion. We found a correlation between He 10830 strength and Ca II $\log{R'_\mathrm{HK}}$ index, with a slope similar to that reported in previous studies on dwarf stars. This correlation underscores the necessity of accounting for stellar chromosphere structure when employing He 10830 as a probe for stellar helium abundance. The procedure of measuring the He 10830 we developed in this study is applicable not only to other Galactic open clusters but also to field stars, with the aim of mapping helium abundance across various types of stars in the future.

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arXiv2024

The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) Science White Paper

The Wide-field Spectroscopic Telescope (WST) is proposed as a new facility dedicated to the efficient delivery of spectroscopic surveys. This white paper summarises the initial concept as well as the corresponding science cases. WST will feature simultaneous operation of a large field-of-view (3 sq. degree), a high multiplex (20,000) multi-object spectrograph (MOS) and a giant 3x3 sq. arcmin integral field spectrograph (IFS). In scientific capability these requirements place WST far ahead of existing and planned facilities. Given the current investment in deep imaging surveys and noting the diagnostic power of spectroscopy, WST will fill a crucial gap in astronomical capability and work synergistically with future ground and space-based facilities. This white paper shows that WST can address outstanding scientific questions in the areas of cosmology; galaxy assembly, evolution, and enrichment, including our own Milky Way; origin of stars and planets; time domain and multi-messenger astrophysics. WST's uniquely rich dataset will deliver unforeseen discoveries in many of these areas. The WST Science Team (already including more than 500 scientists worldwide) is open to the all astronomical community. To register in the WST Science Team please visit https://www.wstelescope.com/for-scientists/participate

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arXiv2024

Stellar Population Astrophysics (SPA) with TNG, Fluorine abundances in seven open clusters

The age, evolution, and chemical properties of the Galactic disk can be effectively ascertained using open clusters. Within the large program Stellar Populations Astrophysics at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, we specifically focused on stars in open clusters, to investigate various astrophysical topics, from the chemical content of very young systems to the abundance patterns of lesser studied intermediate-age and old open clusters. We investigate the astrophysically interesting element fluorine (F), which has an uncertain and intriguing cosmic origin. We also determine the abundance of cerium (Ce), as F abundance is expected to correlate with the s-process elements. High-resolution near-infrared spectra were obtained using the GIANO-B spectrograph. The Python version of Spectroscopy Made Easy (PySME), was used to derive atmospheric parameters and abundances. The stellar parameters were determined using OH, CN, and CO molecular lines along with Fe I lines. This paper presents the first F Galactic radial abundance gradient. Our results are also compared with literature estimates and with Galactic chemical evolution models that have been generated using different F production channels. Our results indicate a constant, solar pattern in the [F/Fe] ratios across clusters of different ages, supporting the latest findings that fluorine levels do not exhibit any secondary behavior for stars with solar or above-solar metallicity. By comparing our sample stars with the predictions of Galactic chemical evolution models, we came to the conclusion that both asymptotic giant branch stars and massive stars, including a fraction of fast rotators that increase with decreasing metallicity, are needed to explain the cosmic origin of F.

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arXiv2024

Stellar population astrophysics (SPA) with the TNG. Abundance analysis of nearby red giants and red clump stars: combining high resolution spectroscopy and asteroseismology

Context: Asteroseismology, a powerful approach for obtaining internal structure and stellar properties, requires surface temperature and chemical composition information to determine mass and age. High-resolution spectroscopy is a valuable technique for precise stellar parameters (including surface temperature) and chemical composition analysis. Aim: We aim to combine spectroscopic parameters with asteroseismology to test stellar models. Method: Using high-resolution optical and near-IR spectra from GIARPS at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, we conducted a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 16 stars photometrically selected to be on the red giant and red clump. Stellar parameters and chemical abundances for light elements (Li, C, N, F), Fe peak, $α$ and n-capture elements were derived using a combination of equivalent widths and spectral synthesis techniques, based on atomic and molecular features. Ages were determined through asteroseismic scaling relations and compared with ages based on chemical clocks, [Y/Mg] and [C/N]. Results: Spectroscopic parameters confirmed the stars as part of the red giant branch and red clump. Two objects, HD 22045 and HD 24680 exhibited relatively high Li abundances, with HD 24680 potentially being a Li-rich giant resulting from mass transfer with an intermediate-mass companion, which already underwent its AGB phase. Stellar parameters derived from scaling different sets of relations were consistent with each other. For what concerns ages, the values based on asteroseismology were in excellent agreement with those derived from theoretical evolutionary tracks, but did not align with ages derived from the chemical clocks [Y/Mg] and [C/N].

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arXiv2023

HRMOS White Paper: Science Motivation

The High-Resolution Multi-Object Spectrograph (HRMOS) is a facility instrument that we plan to propose for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), following the initial presentation at the VLT 2030 workshop held at ESO in June 2019. HRMOS provides a combination of capabilities that are essential to carry out breakthrough science across a broad range of active research areas from stellar astrophysics and exoplanet studies to Galactic and Local Group archaeology. HRMOS fills a gap in capabilities amongst the landscape of future instrumentation planned for the next decade. The key characteristics of HRMOS will be high spectral resolution (R = 60000 - 80000) combined with multi-object (20-100) capabilities and long term stability that will provide excellent radial velocity precision and accuracy (10m/s). Initial designs predict that a SNR~100 will be achievable in about one hour for a star with mag(AB) = 15, while with the same exposure time a SNR~ 30 will be reached for a star with mag(AB) = 17. The combination of high resolution and multiplexing with wavelength coverage extending to relatively blue wavelengths (down to 380\,nm), makes HRMOS a spectrograph that will push the boundaries of our knowledge and that is envisioned as a workhorse instrument in the future. The science cases presented in this White Paper include topics and ideas developed by the Core Science Team with the contributions from the astronomical community, also through the wide participation in the first HRMOS Workshop (https://indico.ict.inaf.it/event/1547/) that took place in Firenze (Italy) in October 2021.

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arXiv2023

The wide-field, multiplexed, spectroscopic facility WEAVE: Survey design, overview, and simulated implementation

WEAVE, the new wide-field, massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey facility for the William Herschel Telescope, will see first light in late 2022. WEAVE comprises a new 2-degree field-of-view prime-focus corrector system, a nearly 1000-multiplex fibre positioner, 20 individually deployable 'mini' integral field units (IFUs), and a single large IFU. These fibre systems feed a dual-beam spectrograph covering the wavelength range 366$-$959\,nm at $R\sim5000$, or two shorter ranges at $R\sim20\,000$. After summarising the design and implementation of WEAVE and its data systems, we present the organisation, science drivers and design of a five- to seven-year programme of eight individual surveys to: (i) study our Galaxy's origins by completing Gaia's phase-space information, providing metallicities to its limiting magnitude for $\sim$3 million stars and detailed abundances for $\sim1.5$ million brighter field and open-cluster stars; (ii) survey $\sim0.4$ million Galactic-plane OBA stars, young stellar objects and nearby gas to understand the evolution of young stars and their environments; (iii) perform an extensive spectral survey of white dwarfs; (iv) survey $\sim400$ neutral-hydrogen-selected galaxies with the IFUs; (v) study properties and kinematics of stellar populations and ionised gas in $z<0.5$ cluster galaxies; (vi) survey stellar populations and kinematics in $\sim25\,000$ field galaxies at $0.3\lesssim z \lesssim 0.7$; (vii) study the cosmic evolution of accretion and star formation using $>1$ million spectra of LOFAR-selected radio sources; (viii) trace structures using intergalactic/circumgalactic gas at $z>2$. Finally, we describe the WEAVE Operational Rehearsals using the WEAVE Simulator.

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arXiv2023

Chemistry of multiple stellar populations in the mono-metallic, in situ, bulge globular cluster NGC 6388

We present the homogeneous abundance analysis for a combined sample of 185 giants in the bulge globular cluster (GC) NGC 6388. Our results are used to describe the multiple stellar populations and differences or analogies with bulge field stars. Proton-capture elements indicate that a single class of first-generation polluters is sufficient to reproduce both the extreme and intermediate parts of the anti-correlations among light elements O, Na, Mg, and Al, which is at odds with our previous results based on a much smaller sample. The abundance pattern of other species in NGC 6388 closely tracks the trends observed in bulge field stars. In particular, the alpha-elements, including Si, rule out an accreted origin for NGC 6388, confirming our previous results based on iron-peak elements, chemo-dynamical analysis, and the age-metallicity relation. The neutron-capture elements are generally uniform, although the [Zr/Fe] ratio shows an intrinsic scatter, correlated to Na and Al abundances. Instead, we do not find enhancement in neutron-capture elements for stars whose photometric properties would classify NGC 6388 as a type II GC. Together with the homogeneity in [Fe/H] we found in a previous paper, this indicates we need to better understand the criteria to separate classes of GCs, coupling photometry, and spectroscopy. These results are based on abundances of 22 species (O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, and Eu) from UVES spectra sampling proton-, alpha-, neutron-capture elements, and Fe-peak elements. For 12 species, we also obtain abundances in a large number of giants (up to 150) from GIRAFFE spectra.

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arXiv2022

LAMOST meets Gaia: The Galactic Open Clusters

Open Clusters are born and evolve along the Milky Way plane, on them is imprinted the history of the Galactic disc, including the chemical and dynamical evolution. Chemical and dynamical properties of open clusters can be derived from photometric, spectroscopic, and astrometric data of their member stars. Based on the photometric and astrometric data from the Gaia mission, the membership of stars in more than 2000 Galactic clusters has been identified in the literature. The chemical and kinematical properties, however, are still poorly known for many of these clusters. In synergy with the large spectroscopic survey LAMOST (data release 8) and Gaia (data release 2), we report a new comprehensive catalogue of 386 open clusters. This catalogue has homogeneous parameter determinations of radial velocity, metallicity, and dynamical properties, such as orbit, eccentricity, angular momenta, total energy, and 3D Galactic velocity. These parameters allow the first radial velocity determination and the first spectroscopic [Fe/H] determination for 44 and 137 clusters, respectively. The metallicity distribution of majority clusters shows falling trends in the parameter space of the Galactocentric radius, the total energy, and the Z component of angular momentum -- except for two old groups that show flat tails in their own parameter planes. Cluster populations of ages younger and older than 500 Myrs distribute diversely on the disc. The latter has a spatial consistency with the Galactic disc flare. The 3-D spatial comparison between very young clusters (< 100 Myr) and nearby molecular clouds revealed a wide range of metallicity distribution along the Radcliffe gas cloud wave, indicating a possible inhomogeneous mixing or fast star formation along the wave. This catalogue would serve the community as a useful tool to trace the chemical and dynamical evolution of the Milky Way.

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arXiv2022

The in situ origin of the globular cluster NGC 6388 from abundances of Sc, V, and Zn of a large sample of stars

Chemical tagging of globular clusters (GCs) is often done using abundances of alpha-elements. The iron-peak elements Sc, V, and in particular Zn were proposed as an alternative to alpha-elements to tag accreted GCs in the metal-rich regime, where the dwarf galaxy Sagittarius and its GCs show peculiarly marked under-abundances of these heavier species with respect to Milky Way stars. A handful of stars in NGC 6388 was used to suggest an accreted origin for this GC, contradicting the results from dynamics. We tested the efficiency of the iron-peak method by using large samples of stars in NGC 6388, compared to thousands of field stars in the disc and the bulge of the Milky Way. Our abundance ratios of Sc (185 stars) and V (35 stars) for NGC 6388 are within about 1.5 sigma from the average for the field stars with a similar metallicity, and they are in perfect agreement for Zn (31 stars), claimed to be the most sensitive element concerning the accretion pattern. Moreover, the chemo-dynamical plots, coupled to the bifurcated age-metallicity relation of GCs in the Galaxy, clearly rule out any association of NGC 6388 to the groups of accreted GCs. Using a large set of GC abundances from the literature, we also show that the new method with Sc, V, and Zn seems to be efficient in picking up GCs related to the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. Whether this is also generally true for accreted GCs seems to be less evident, and it should be verified with larger and homogeneous samples of stars both in the field and in GCs.

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arXiv2021

Metallicity of the globular cluster NGC 6388 from high resolution spectra of more than 160 giant stars

NGC 6388 is one of the most massive Galactic globular clusters (GC) and it is an old, metal-rich, Galactic bulge cluster. By exploiting previous spectroscopic observations we were able to bypass the uncertainties in membership related to the strong field stars contamination. We present the abundance analysis of 12 new giant stars with UVES spectra and 150 giants with GIRAFFE spectra acquired at the ESO-VLT. We derived radial velocities, atmospheric parameters and iron abundances for all stars. When combined to previous data, we obtain a grand total of 185 stars homogeneously analysed in NGC 6388 from high-resolution spectroscopy. The average radial velocity of the 185 stars is 81.2+/-0.7, rms = 9.4 km/s. We obtain an average metallicity [Fe/H]=-0.480 dex, rms = 0.045 dex (35 stars) and [Fe/H]=-0.488 dex, rms = 0.040 dex (150 stars) from the UVES and GIRAFFE samples, respectively. Comparing these values to internal errors in abundance, we exclude the presence of a significant intrinsic metallicity spread within the cluster. Since about a third of giants in NGC 6388 is claimed to belong to the "anomalous red giants" in the HST pseudo-colour map defining the so-called type-II GCs, we conclude that either enhanced metallicity is not a necessary requisite to explain this classification (as also suggested by the null iron spread for NGC 362) or NGC 6388 is not a type-II globular cluster.

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arXiv2021

HAYDN -- High-precision AsteroseismologY of DeNse stellar fields (ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper)

In the last decade, the Kepler and CoRoT space-photometry missions have demonstrated the potential of asteroseismology as a novel, versatile and powerful tool to perform exquisite tests of stellar physics, and to enable precise and accurate characterisations of stellar properties, with impact on both exoplanetary and Galactic astrophysics. Based on our improved understanding of the strengths and limitations of such a tool, we argue for a new small/medium space mission dedicated to gathering high-precision, high-cadence, long photometric series in dense stellar fields. Such a mission will lead to breakthroughs in stellar astrophysics, especially in the metal poor regime, will elucidate the evolution and formation of open and globular clusters, and aid our understanding of the assembly history and chemodynamics of the Milky Way's bulge and few nearby dwarf galaxies.

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arXiv2020

The Gaia-ESO Survey: Oxygen abundance in the Galactic thin and thick disks

We analyze the oxygen abundances of a stellar sample representative of the two major Galactic populations: the thin and thick disks. The aim is to investigate the differences between members of the Galactic disks and to contribute to the understanding on the origin of oxygen chemical enrichment in the Galaxy. The analysis is based on the [O\,{\sc i}]=6300.30\,Å~ oxygen line in HR spectra ($R\sim$52,500) obtained from the GES Survey. By comparing the observed spectra with a theoretical dataset, computed in LTE with the SPECTRUM synthesis and ATLAS12 codes, we derive the oxygen abundances of 516 FGK dwarfs for which we have previously measured carbon abundances. Based on kinematic, chemical and dynamical considerations we identify 20 thin and 365 thick disk members. We study potential trends of both subsamples in terms of their chemistry ([O/H], [O/Fe], [O/Mg], and [C/O] versus [Fe/H] and [Mg/H]), age, and position in the Galaxy. Main results are: (a) [O/H] and [O/Fe] ratios versus [Fe/H] show systematic differences between thin and thick disk stars with enhanced O abundance of thick disk stars with respect to thin disk members and a monotonic decrement of [O/Fe] with increasing metallicity, even at metal-rich regime; (b) a smooth correlation of [O/Mg] with age in both populations, suggesting that this abundance ratio can be a good proxy of stellar ages within the Milky Way; (c) thin disk members with [Fe/H]$\simeq0$ display a [C/O] ratio smaller than the solar value, suggesting a possibly outward migration of the Sun from lower Galactocentric radii.

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arXiv2020

Excess of Ca (and Sc) produced in globular cluster multiple populations: a first census in 77 Galactic globular clusters

Multiple stellar populations in globular clusters (GCs) are distinct by their different abundances of light elements. The abundance anti-correlations point towards a nucleosynthesis origin due to high-temperature H burning, but it remains to be assessed which type of stars altered primordial abundances in GCs. In particular, the regime at very high temperature that shapes the variations in potassium as well as calcium and scandium, which has been detected in a few notable cases such as NGC 2419 and NGC 2808, is still poorly explored. We started a systematic search for excess of Ca (and Sc) in GC stars with respect to the level of unmodified field stars. Statistically robust evidence of such excess was found in a small number of GCs (NGC 4833, NGC 6715, NGC 6402, NGC 5296, NGC 5824, and NGC 5139/omega Centauri) that join the previously known two clusters. For the first time we show that NGC 4833 is likely to host anti-correlated K and Mg abundances. All these GCs are among the most massive ones in the Galaxy. We found that the fraction of stars with Ca enhancement at 3sigma above the field star distribution is a multivariate function of the GC mass and metallicity, as in other manifestations of the multiple population phenomenon in GCs. We argue that these alterations in only a few GCs can be reproduced by two different channels: either a class of ordinary stars, that is common to all GCs, acts only in particular environments, or an on-off mechanism is generated by the occurrence of a peculiar type of stars (or lack of such stars). Hot bottom burning in asymptotic giant branch stars in the low-metallicity regime is a good candidate for the first class. Alternatively, a metallicity dependence is also expected for supermassive stars, which are predicted to preferentially form in massive GCs. (abridged).

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arXiv2020

The Gaia-ESO survey: 3D NLTE abundances in the open cluster NGC 2420 suggest atomic diffusion and turbulent mixing at the origin of chemical abundance variations

Atomic diffusion and mixing processes in stellar interiors influence the structure and the surface composition of stars. Some of these processes cannot yet be modelled from the first principles. This limits their applicability in stellar models used for studies of stellar populations and Galactic evolution. Our main goal is to put constrains on the stellar structure and evolution models using new refined measurements of chemical composition in stars of Galactic open cluster. We use medium-resolution, 19 200 <= R <= 21 500, optical spectra of the stars in the open cluster NGC 2420 obtained within the Gaia-ESO survey. The sample covers all evolutionary stages from the main-sequence to red giant branch. Stellar parameters are derived using a combined Bayesian analysis of spectra, 2MASS photometry, and astrometric data from Gaia DR2. The abundances of Mg, Ca, Fe, and Li are determined from non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) synthetic spectra, computed using one-dimensional (1D) and averaged three-dimensional (3D) model atmospheres. We compare our results with a grid of Code d'Evolution Stellaire Adaptatif et Modulaire (CESTAM) stellar evolution models, which include atomic diffusion, turbulent and rotational mixing. We find prominent evolutionary trends in the abundances of Fe, Ca, Mg, and Li with the mass of the stars in the cluster. Fe, Mg, and Ca show a depletion at the cluster turn-off, but the abundances gradually increase and flatten near the base of the RGB. The abundance trend for Li displays a signature of rotational mixing on the main-sequence and abrupt depletion on the subgiant branch, which is caused by advection of Li-poor material to the surface. The analysis of abundances combined with the CESTAM model predictions allows us to place limits on the parameter space of the models and to constrain the zone in the stellar interior where turbulent mixing takes place.

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arXiv2019

The Gaia-ESO Survey: Carbon abundance in the Galactic thin and thick disks

This paper focuses on carbon that is one of the most abundant elements in the Universe and is of high importance in the field of nucleosynthesis and galactic and stellar evolution. Even nowadays, the origin of carbon and the relative importance of massive and low- to intermediate-mass stars in producing it is still a matter of debate. In this paper we aim at better understanding the origin of carbon by studying the trends of [C/H], [C/Fe],and [C/Mg] versus [Fe/H], and [Mg/H] for 2133 FGK dwarf stars from the fifth Gaia-ESO Survey internal data release (GES iDR5). The availability of accurate parallaxes and proper motions from Gaia DR2 and radial velocities from GES iDR5 allows us to compute Galactic velocities, orbits and absolute magnitudes and, for 1751 stars, ages via a Bayesian approach. Three different selection methodologies have been adopted to discriminate between thin and thick disk stars. In all the cases, the two stellar groups show different abundance ratios, [C/H], [C/Fe], and [C/Mg], and span different age intervals, with the thick disk stars being, on average, older than those in the thin disk. The behaviours of [C/H], [C/Fe], and [C/Mg] versus [Fe/H], [Mg/H], and age all suggest that C is primarily produced in massive stars like Mg. The increase of [C/Mg] for young thin disk stars indicates a contribution from low-mass stars or the increased C production from massive stars at high metallicities due to the enhanced mass loss. The analysis of the orbital parameters Rmed and |Zmax| support an "inside-out" and "upside-down" formation scenario for the disks of Milky Way.

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arXiv2019

Stellar population astrophysics (SPA) with the TNG. Revisiting the metallicity of Praesepe (M44)

Open clusters exquisitely track the Galactic disc chemical properties and its time evolution; a substantial number of studies and large spectroscopic surveys focus mostly on the chemical content of relatively old clusters (age $\gtrsim$ 1 Gyr). Interestingly, the less studied young counterpart populating the solar surrounding has been found to be solar (at most), with a notable surprising lack of young metal-rich objects. While there is wide consensus about the moderately above-solar composition of the Hyades cluster, the metallicity of Praesepe is still controversial. Recent studies suggest that these two clusters share identical chemical composition and age, but this conclusion is disputed. With the aim of reassessing the metallicity of Praesepe, and its difference (if any) with the Hyades cluster, we present in this paper a spectroscopic investigation of ten solar-type dwarf members. We exploited $GIARPS$ at the TNG to acquire high-resolution, high-quality optical and near-IR spectra and derived stellar parameters, metallicity ([Fe/H]), light elements, $α$- and iron-peak elements, by using a strictly differential (line-by-line) approach. We also analysed in the very same way the solar spectrum and the Hyades solar analogue HD 28099. Our findings suggest that Praesepe is more metal-rich than the Hyades, at the level of $Δ$[Fe/H]=+0.05$\pm$0.01 dex, with a mean value of [Fe/H]=+0.21$\pm0.01$ dex. All the other elements scale with iron, as expected. This result seems to reject the hypothesis of a common origin for these two open clusters. Most importantly, Praesepe is currently the most metal-rich, young open cluster living in the solar neighbourhood.

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arXiv2019

What is a globular cluster? An observational perspective

Globular clusters are large and dense agglomerate of stars. At variance with smaller clusters of stars, they exhibit signs of some chemical evolution. At least for this reason, they are intermediate between open clusters and massive objects such as nuclear clusters or compact galaxies. While some facts are well established, the increasing amount of observational data are revealing a complexity that has so far defied the attempts to interpret the whole data set in a simple scenario. We review this topic focusing on the main observational features of clusters in the Milky Way and its satellites. We find that most of the observational facts related to the chemical evolution in globular clusters are described as being primarily a function of the initial mass of the clusters, tuned by further dependence on the metallicity - that mainly affects specific aspects of the nucleosynthesis processes involved - and on the environment, that likely determines the possibility of indepenedent chemical evolution of the fragments or satellites, where the clusters form. We review the impact of multiple populations on different regions of the colour-magnitude diagram and underline the constraints related to the observed abundances of lithium, to the cluster dynamics, and to the frequency of binaries in stars of different chemical composition. We then re-consider the issues related to the mass budget and the relation between globular cluster and field stars. Any successful model of globular cluster formation should explain these facts.

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arXiv2019

NGC 6388 reloaded: some like it hot, but not too much

Multiple stellar populations in globular clusters (GCs) are defined and recognized by their chemical signature, with second generation stars showing the effects of nucleosynthesis in the more massive stars of the earliest component formed in the first star formation burst. High temperature H-burning produces the whole pattern of (anti)-correlations among proton-capture elements widely found in GCs. However, where this burning occurred is still debated. Here we introduce new powerful diagnostic plots to detect evidence (if any) of products from proton-capture reactions occurring at very high temperatures. To test these Detectors Of High Temperature (in short DOHT) H-burning plots we show how to put stringent constraints on the temperature range of the first generation polluters that contributed to shape the chemistry of multiple stellar population in the massive bulge GC NGC 6388. Using the largest sample to date (185 stars) of giants with detailed abundance ratios in a single GC (except omega Cen) we may infer that the central temperature of part of the polluters must have been comprised between about 100 and about 150 million Kelvin (MK) if we consider hydrostatic H-burning in the core of massive stars. A much narrower range (110 to 120 MK) is inferred if the polluters can be identified in massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars.

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