Chul Chung

Super-helium-rich populations and the origin of extreme horizontal-branch stars in globular clusters

Recent observations for the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the massive globular cluster ω Centauri have shown that it has a striking double main sequence (MS), with a minority population of bluer and fainter MS stars well separated from a majority population of MS stars. Here we confirm, with the most up-to-date Y2 isochrones, that this special feature can only be reproduced by assuming a large variation (ΔY = 0.15) of primordial helium abundance among several distinct populations in this cluster. We further show that the same helium enhancement required for this special feature on the MS can by itself reproduce the extreme horizontal-branch (HB) stars observed in ω Cen, which are hotter than normal HB stars. Similarly, the complex features on the HBs of other globular clusters, such as NGC 2808, are explained by large internal variations of helium abundance. Supporting evidence for the helium-rich population is also provided by the far-UV (FUV) observations of extreme HB stars in these clusters, where the enhancement of helium can naturally explain the observed fainter FUV luminosity for these stars. The presence of super-helium-rich populations in some globular clusters suggests that a third parameter, other than metallicity and age, also influences the CMD morphology of these clusters.

Nonlinear Color-Metallicity Relations of Globular Clusters. III. On the Discrepancy in Metallicity between Globular Cluster Systems and Their Parent Elliptical Galaxies

One of the conundrums in extragalactic astronomy is the discrepancy in observed metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) between the two prime stellar components of early-type galaxies—globular clusters (GCs) and halo field stars. This is generally taken as evidence of highly decoupled evolutionary histories between GC systems and their parent galaxies. Here we show, however, that new developments in linking the observed GC colors to their intrinsic metallicities suggest nonlinear color-to-metallicity conversions, which translate observed color distributions into strongly peaked, unimodal MDFs with broad metal-poor tails. Remarkably, the inferred GC MDFs are similar to the MDFs of resolved field stars in nearby elliptical galaxies and those produced by chemical evolution models of galaxies. The GC MDF shape, characterized by a sharp peak with a metal-poor tail, indicates a virtually continuous chemical enrichment with a relatively short timescale. The characteristic shape emerges across three orders of magnitude in the host galaxy mass, suggesting a universal process of chemical enrichment among various GC systems. Given that GCs are bluer than field stars within the same galaxy, it is plausible that the chemical enrichment processes of GCs ceased somewhat earlier than that of the field stellar population, and if so, GCs preferentially trace the major, vigorous mode of star formation events in galactic formation. We further suggest a possible systematic age difference among GC systems, in that the GC systems in more luminous galaxies are older. This is consistent with the downsizing paradigm whereby stars of brighter galaxies, on average, formed earlier than those of dimmer galaxies; this additionally supports the similar nature shared by GCs and field stars. Although the sample used in this study (the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys/Wide Field Channel, WFPC2, and WFC3 photometry for the GC systems in the Virgo galaxy cluster) confines our discussion to R Re for giant ellipticals and 10 Re for normal ellipticals, our findings suggest that GC systems and their parent galaxies have shared a more common origin than previously thought, and hence greatly simplify theories of galaxy formation.

GALEX Ultraviolet Photometry of Globular Clusters in M31: Three-Year Results and a Catalog

We present ultraviolet (UV) photometry of M31 globular clusters (GCs) found in 23 Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) images covering the entirety of M31. We detect 485 and 273 GCs (and GC candidates) in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) and far-ultraviolet (FUV), respectively. The UV properties of GCs have been analyzed using various combinations of UV–optical and optical–optical colors. Comparing M31 data with those of Galactic GCs in the UV with the aid of population models, we find that the age ranges of old GCs in M31 and the Galactic halo are similar. Three metal-rich ([Fe/H] > − 1) GCs in M31 produce significant FUV flux making their FUV–V colors unusually blue for their metallicities. These are thought to be analogs of the two peculiar Galactic GCs, NGC 6388 and NGC 6441, with extended blue HB stars. Based on the models incorporating helium enriched subpopulations in addition to the majority of the population that have a normal helium abundance, we suggest that even small fraction of super-helium-rich subpopulations in GCs can reproduce the observed UV bright metal-rich GCs. Young clusters in M31 show distinct UV and optical properties from GCs in Milky Way. Population models indicate that their typical age is less than ~2 Gyr and is consistent with the age derived from the most recent high-quality spectroscopic observations. A large fraction of young GCs have the kinematics of the thin, rapidly rotating disk component. Most GCs with bulge kinematics show old ages. The existence of young GCs on the outskirts of M31 disk suggests the occurrence of a significant recent star formation in the thin-disk of M31. We detect 12 (10) intermediate-age GC candidates in NUV (FUV) identified by previous spectroscopic observations. On the basis of comparing our UV photometry to population models, we suggest that some of spectroscopically identified intermediate-age GCs may not be truly intermediate in age, but rather older GCs that possess developed HB stars which contribute to enhanced UV flux as well as Balmer lines.

THE EFFECT OF HELIUM-ENHANCED STELLAR POPULATIONS ON THE ULTRAVIOLET-UPTURN PHENOMENON OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

Recent observations and modeling of globular clusters (GCs) with multiple populations strongly indicate the presence of super-helium-rich subpopulations in old stellar systems. Motivated by this, we have constructed new population synthesis models with and without helium-enhanced subpopulations to investigate their impact on the UV-upturn phenomenon of quiescent early-type galaxies (ETGs). We find that our models with helium-enhanced subpopulations can naturally reproduce the strong UV-upturns observed in giant elliptical galaxies assuming an age similar to that of old GCs in the Milky Way. The major source of far-UV (FUV) flux, in this model, is relatively metal-poor and helium-enhanced hot horizontal-branch stars and their progeny. The Burstein et al. relation of the FUV - V color with metallicity is also explained either by the variation of the fraction of helium-enhanced subpopulations or by the spread in mean age of stellar populations in ETGs.

The Milky Way without X: an alternative interpretation of the double red clump in the Galactic bulge

The presence of two red clumps (RCs) in high latitude fields of the Milky Way bulge is interpreted as evidence for an X-shaped structure originated from the bar instability. Here we show, however, that this double RC phenomenon is more likely to be another manifestation of multiple populations observed in globular clusters (GCs) in the metal-rich regime. As in the bulge GC Terzan 5, the helium enhanced second generation stars (G2) in the classical bulge component of the Milky Way are placed on the bright RC, which is about 0.5 mag brighter than the normal RC originated from the first generation stars (G1), producing the observed double RC. In a composite bulge, where a classical bulge can coexist with a boxy pseudo bulge, our models can also reproduce key observations, such as the dependence of the double RC feature on metallicity and Galactic latitude and longitude. If confirmed by Gaia trigonometric parallax distances, this would indicate that the Milky Way bar is not sufficiently buckled to form the X-shaped structure in the bulge, and suggest that the early-type galaxies would be similarly prevailed by super-helium-rich subpopulation.

Compact stellar systems in the Fornax cluster: a UV perspective

Context. There is increasing evidence for chemical complexity and multiple stellar populations in massive globular clusters (GCs), including extreme horizontal branches (EHBs) and UV excess. Aims. We aim to improve our understanding of the UV excess in compact stellar systems, covering the regime of both ultra-compact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) and massive GCs. Methods. We use deep archival GALEX data of the central Fornax cluster to measure NUV and FUV magnitudes of UCDs and massive GCs. Results. We obtain NUV photometry for a sample of 35 compact objects that cover a range -13.5 < M v < -10 mag. Of those, 21 objects also have FUV photometry. Roughly half of the sources fall into the UCD luminosity regime (M v ≤ - 11 mag). We find that seven out of 17 massive Fomax GCs exhibit a NUV excess with respect to expectations from stellar population models, both for models with canonical and enhanced Helium abundance. This suggests that not only He-enrichment has contributed to forming the EHB population of these GCs. The GCs extend to stronger UV excess than GCs in M 31 and massive GCs in M 87, at the 97% confidence level. Most of the UCDs with FUV photometry also show evidence for UV excess, but their UV colours can be matched by isochrones with enhanced Helium abundances and old ages 12-14 Gyr. We find that Fornax compact objects with X-ray emission detected from Chandra images are almost disjunct in colour from compact objects with GALEX UV detection, with only one X-ray source among the 35 compact objects. However, since this source is one of the three most UV bright GCs, we cannot exclude that the physical processes causing X-ray emission also contribute to some of the observed UV excess.

PROBING THE INTERMEDIATE-AGE GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN NGC 5128 FROM ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS

We explore the age distribution of the globular cluster (GC) system of the nearby elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 using ultraviolet (UV) photometry from GALEX observations, with UV–optical colors used as the age indicator. Most GCs in NGC 5128 follow the general trends of GCs in M31 and the Milky Way in the UV–optical color– color diagram, which indicates that the majority of GCs in NGC 5128 are old similar to the age range of old GCs in M31 and the Milky Way. A large fraction of spectroscopically identified intermediate-age GC (IAGC) candidates with ~3–8 Gyr are not detected in the far-UV (FUV) passband. Considering the nature of intermediate age populations being faint in the FUV passband, we suggest that many of the spectroscopically identified IAGCs may be truly intermediate in age. This is in contrast to the case of M31 where a large fraction of spectroscopically suggested IAGCs are detected in FUV and therefore may not be genuine IAGCs but rather older GCs with developed blue horizontal branch stars. Our UV photometry strengthens the results previously suggesting the presence of GC and stellar subpopulation with intermediate age in NGC 5128. The existence of IAGCs strongly indicates the occurrence of at least one more major star formation episode after a starburst at high redshift.

THE EFFECT OF SECOND-GENERATION POPULATIONS ON THE INTEGRATED COLORS OF METAL-RICH GLOBULAR CLUSTERS IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

The mean color of globular clusters (GCs) in early-type galaxies is in general bluer than the integrated color of halo field stars in host galaxies. Metal-rich GCs often appear more associated with field stars than metal-poor GCs, yet show bluer colors than their host galaxy light. Motivated by the discovery of multiple stellar populations in Milky Way GCs, we present a new scenario in which the presence of second-generation (SG) stars in GCs is responsible for the color discrepancy between metal-rich GCs and field stars. The model assumes that the SG populations have an enhanced helium abundance as evidenced by observations, and it gives a good explanation of the bluer optical colors of metal-rich GCs than field stars as well as strong Balmer lines and blue UV colors of metal-rich GCs. Ours may be complementary to the recent scenario suggesting the difference in stellar mass functions (MFs) as an origin for the GC-to-star color offset. A quantitative comparison is given between the SG and MF models.

New Insight on the Origin of the Double Red Clump in the Milky Way Bulge

The double red clump (RC) observed in the Milky Way bulge is widely interpreted as evidence for an X-shaped structure. We have recently suggested, however, an alternative interpretation based on the multiple population phenomenon, where the bright RC is from helium enhanced second-generation stars (G2), while the faint RC is representing first-generation stars (G1) with normal helium abundance. Here our RC models are constructed in a large parameter space to see the effects of metallicity, age, and helium abundance on the double RC feature. Our models show that the luminosity of RC stars is mainly affected by helium abundance, while the RC color is primarily affected by metallicity. The effect of age is relatively small, unless it is older than 12 Gyr or much younger than 6 Gyr. The observed double RC feature can therefore be reproduced in a relatively large parameter space, once {\Delta}Y between G2 and G1 is assumed to be greater than

Stellar Encounter Driven Red-giant Star Mass Loss in Globular Clusters

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