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COSMIC-LAB: Unexpected Results from High-resolution Spectra of AGB Stars in Globular Clusters

We have used high-resolution spectra, acquired with UVES@ESO-VLT, to determine the chemical abundances of different samples of AGB and RGB stars in 4 Galactic globular clusters, namely 47Tuc, NGC3201, M22 and M62.
For almost all the analyzed AGB stars we found a clear discrepancy between the iron abundance measured from neutral lines and that obtained from single ionized lines,
while this discrepancy is not obtained for the RGB samples observed in the same clusters and analyzed with the same procedure. Such a behavior exactly corresponds to what expected in the case of Non-Local Thermodynamical Equilibrium (NLTE) in the star atmosphere.
These results have a huge impact on the proper determination of GC chemistry.
In fact, one of the most intriguing consequences is that, at odds with previous claims, no iron spread is found in NGC3201 and M22 if the iron abundance is obtained from ionized lines only.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unibo.it/oai:amsdottorato.cib.unibo.it:7234
Date17 December 2015
CreatorsLapenna, Emilio <1986>
ContributorsFerraro, Francesco Rosario
PublisherAlma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna
Source SetsUniversità di Bologna
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeDoctoral Thesis, PeerReviewed
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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