LIGHT-ELEMENT ABUNDANCE INHOMOGENEITIES IN GLOBULAR-CLUSTERS - PROBING STAR-FORMATION AND EVOLUTION IN THE EARLY MILKY-WAY

被引:32
作者
BRILEY, MM
BELL, RA
HESSER, JE
SMITH, GH
机构
[1] UNIV MARYLAND,DEPT ASTRON,COLLEGE PK,MD 20742
[2] NATL RES COUNCIL CANADA,DOMINION ASTROPHYS OBSERV,HERZBERG INST ASTROPHYS,VICTORIA,BC V8X 4M6,CANADA
[3] UNIV CALIF SANTA CRUZ,LICK OBSERV,SANTA CRUZ,CA 95064
关键词
D O I
10.1139/p94-101
中图分类号
O4 [物理学];
学科分类号
0702 ;
摘要
Abundance patterns of the elements C, N, and O are sensitive probes of stellar nucleosynthesis processes and, in addition, O abundances are an important input for stellar age determinations. Understanding the nature of the observed distribution of these elements is key to constraining protogalactic star formation history. Patterns deduced from low-resolution spectroscopy of the CN, CH, NH, and CO molecules for low-mass stars in their core-hydrogen or first shell-hydrogen burning phases in the oldest ensembles known, the Galactic globular star clusters, are reviewed. New results for faint stars in NGC 104 (47 Tuc, C0021-723) reveal that the bimodal, anticorrelated pattern of CN and CH strengths found among luminous evolved stars is also present in stars nearing the end of their main-sequence lifetimes. In the absence of known mechanisms to mix newly synthesized elements from the interior to the observable surface layers of such unevolved stars, those particular inhomogeneities imply that the original material from which the stars formed some 15 billion years ago was chemically inhomogeneous in the C and N elements, However, in other clusters, observations of abundance ratios and C isotope ratios suggest that alterations to surface chemical compositions are produced as stars evolve from the main sequence through the red giant branch. Thus, the current observed distributions of C, N, and O among the brightest stars (those also observed most often) may not reflect the true distribution from which the protocluster cloud formed. The picture that is emerging of the C, N, and O abundance patterns within globular clusters may be one which requires a complicated combination of stellar evolutionary and primordial effects for its explanation.
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页码:772 / 781
页数:10
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