| 1. |
- Baratella, M., et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia-ESO Survey : a new approach to chemically characterising young open clusters I. Stellar parameters, and iron-peak, alpha-, and proton-capture elements
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP SCIENCES S A. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 634
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Open clusters are recognised as excellent tracers of Galactic thin-disc properties. At variance with intermediate-age and old open clusters, for which a significant number of studies is now available, clusters younger than less than or similar to 150 Myr have been mostly overlooked in terms of their chemical composition until recently (with few exceptions). On the other hand, previous investigations seem to indicate an anomalous behaviour of young clusters, which includes (but is not limited to) slightly sub-solar iron (Fe) abundances and extreme, unexpectedly high barium (Ba) enhancements.Aims: In a series of papers, we plan to expand our understanding of this topic and investigate whether these chemical peculiarities are instead related to abundance analysis techniques.Methods: We present a new determination of the atmospheric parameters for 23 dwarf stars observed by the Gaia-ESO survey in five young open clusters (tau < 150 Myr) and one star-forming region (NGC 2264). We exploit a new method based on titanium (Ti) lines to derive the spectroscopic surface gravity, and most importantly, the microturbulence parameter. A combination of Ti and Fe lines is used to obtain effective temperatures. We also infer the abundances of Fe I, Fe II, Tit, Tin,Na I, Mg I, Al I,Sit, Ca I, Cr I, and Ni I.Results: Our findings are in fair agreement with Gaia-ESO iDR5 results for effective temperatures and surface gravities, but suggest that for very young stars, the microturbulence parameter is over-estimated when Fe lines are employed. This affects the derived chemical composition and causes the metal content of very young clusters to be under-estimated.Conclusions: Our clusters display a metallicity [Fe/H] between +0.04 +/- 0.01 and +0.12 +/- 0.02; they are not more metal poor than the Sun. Although based on a relatively small sample size, our explorative study suggests that we may not need to call for ad hoc explanations to reconcile the chemical composition of young open clusters with Galactic chemical evolution models.
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| 2. |
- Casali, G., et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia-ESO survey : the non-universality of the age-chemical-clocks-metallicity relations in the Galactic disc
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 639
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. In the era of large spectroscopic surveys, massive databases of high-quality spectra coupled with the products of the Gaia satellite provide tools to outline a new picture of our Galaxy. In this framework, an important piece of information is provided by our ability to infer stellar ages, and consequently to sketch a Galactic timeline.Aims. We aim to provide empirical relations between stellar ages and abundance ratios for a sample of stars with very similar stellar parameters to those of the Sun, namely the so-called solar-like stars. We investigate the dependence on metallicity, and we apply our relations to independent samples, that is, the Gaia-ESO samples of open clusters and of field stars.Methods. We analyse high-resolution and high-signal-to-noise-ratio HARPS spectra of a sample of solar-like stars to obtain precise determinations of their atmospheric parameters and abundances for 25 elements and/or ions belonging to the main nucleosynthesis channels through differential spectral analysis, and of their ages through isochrone fitting.Results. We investigate the relations between stellar ages and several abundance ratios. For the abundance ratios with a steeper dependence on age, we perform multivariate linear regressions, in which we include the dependence on metallicity, [Fe/H]. We apply our best relations to a sample of open clusters located from the inner to the outer regions of the Galactic disc. Using our relations, we are able to recover the literature ages only for clusters located at R-GC > 7 kpc. The values that we obtain for the ages of the inner-disc clusters are much greater than the literature ones. In these clusters, the content of neutron capture elements, such as Y and Zr, is indeed lower than expected from chemical evolution models, and consequently their [Y/Mg] and [Y/Al] are lower than in clusters of the same age located in the solar neighbourhood. With our chemical evolution model and a set of empirical yields, we suggest that a strong dependence on the star formation history and metallicity-dependent stellar yields of s-process elements can substantially modify the slope of the [s/alpha]-[Fe/H]-age relation in different regions of the Galaxy.Conclusions. Our results point towards a non-universal relation [s/alpha]-[Fe/H]-age, indicating the existence of relations with different slopes and intercepts at different Galactocentric distances or for different star formation histories. Therefore, relations between ages and abundance ratios obtained from samples of stars located in a limited region of the Galaxy cannot be translated into general relations valid for the whole disc. A better understanding of the s-process at high metallicity is necessary to fully understand the origin of these variations.
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| 3. |
- Sanna, N., et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia-ESO Survey : an extremely Li-rich giant in globular cluster NGC 1261
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP SCIENCES S A. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 639
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lithium-rich stars in globular clusters are rare. Only 14 have been found so far, in different evolutionary phases from dwarfs to giants. Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain this enhancement, but it is still an open problem. Using spectra collected within the Gaia-ESO Survey, obtained with the GIRAFFE spectrograph at the ESO Very Large Telescope, we present the discovery of the first Li-rich star in the cluster NGC 1261, the second star known in the red giant branch bump phase. The star shows an extreme Li overabundance of A(Li)(LTE)=3.92 +/- 0.14, corresponding to A(Li)(NLTE)=3.40 dex. We propose that the Li enhancement is caused by fresh Li production through an extra mixing process (sometimes referred to as cool bottom burning). Alternatively, it could be a pre-existing Li overabundance caused by mass-transfer from a red giant star; this mechanism does not enhance the barium abundance and thus we observe low barium. To unambiguously explain the Li enhancement in globular cluster stars, however, a reliable determination of the abundance of key species like Be, Li-6, C-12/C-13, and several s-process elements is required, as well as detailed modelling of chromospheric activity indicators.
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| 4. |
- Randich, S., et al.
(författare)
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The Gaia -ESO Survey: Galactic evolution of lithium at high metallicity
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 640
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Reconstructing the Galactic evolution of lithium (Li) is the main tool used to constrain the source(s) of Li enrichment in the Galaxy. Recent results have suggested a decline in Li at supersolar metallicities, which may indicate reduced production. Aims. We exploit the unique characteristics of the Gaia-ESO Survey open star cluster sample to further investigate this issue and to better constrain the evolution of Li at high metallicity. Methods. We trace the upper envelope of Li abundance versus metallicity evolution using 18 clusters and considering members that should not have suffered any Li depletion. Results. At variance with previous claims, we do not find any evidence of a Li decrease at high metallicity. The most metal-rich clusters in the sample ([Fe/H] = ∼0.3) actually show the highest Li abundances, with A(Li) > 3.4. Our results clearly show that previous findings, which were based on field stars, were affected by selection effects. The metal-rich population in the solar neighbourhood is composed of relatively old and cool stars that have already undergone some Li depletion; hence, their measured Li does not represent the initial interstellar medium abundance, but a lower limit to it.
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