The EMBLA survey – metal-poor stars in the Galactic bulge (original) (raw)
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Very Metal-Poor Stars in the Outer Galactic Bulge Found by the Apogee Survey
The astrophysical journal, 2013
Despite its importance for understanding the nature of early stellar generations and for constraining Galactic bulge formation models, at present little is known about the metal-poor stellar content of the central Milky Way. This is a consequence of the great distances involved and intervening dust obscuration, which challenge optical studies. However, the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), a wide-area, multifiber, highresolution spectroscopic survey within Sloan Digital Sky Survey III, is exploring the chemistry of all Galactic stellar populations at infrared wavelengths, with particular emphasis on the disk and the bulge. An automated spectral analysis of data on 2403 giant stars in 12 fields in the bulge obtained during APOGEE commissioning yielded five stars with low metallicity ([Fe/H] −1.7), including two that are very metal-poor [Fe/H] ∼ −2.1 by bulge standards. Luminosity-based distance estimates place the 5 stars within the outer bulge, where 1246 of the other analyzed stars may reside. A manual reanalysis of the spectra verifies the low metallicities, and finds these stars to be enhanced in the α-elements O, Mg, and Si without significant α-pattern differences with other local halo or metal-weak thick-disk stars of similar metallicity, or even with other more metal-rich bulge stars. While neither the kinematics nor chemistry of these stars can yet definitively determine which, if any, are truly bulge members, rather than denizens of other populations co-located with the bulge, the newly identified stars reveal that the chemistry of metal-poor stars in the central Galaxy resembles that of metal-weak thick-disk stars at similar metallicity.
Evidence for a metal-poor population in the inner Galactic bulge
Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2015
The inner Galactic bulge has, until recently, been avoided in chemical evolution studies because of extreme extinction and stellar crowding. Large, near-IR spectroscopic surveys, such as the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE), for the first time allow the measurement of metallicities in the inner region of our Galaxy. We study metallicities of 33 K/M giants situated in the Galactic center region from observations obtained with the APOGEE survey. We selected K/M giants with reliable stellar parameters from the APOGEE/ASPCAP pipeline. Distances, interstellar extinction values, and radial velocities were checked to confirm that these stars are indeed situated in the inner Galactic bulge. We find a metal-rich population centered at [M/H] = +0.4 dex, in agreement with earlier studies of other bulge regions, but we also discovered a peak at low metallicity around [M/H] = −1.0 dex. This finding suggests the presence of a metal-poor population, which has not previously been detected in the central region. Our results indicate a dominant metal-rich population with a metal-poor component that is enhanced in the α-elements. This metal-poor population may be associated with the classical bulge and a fast formation scenario.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
The investigation of the metal-poor tail in the Galactic bulge provides unique information on the early Milky Way assembly and evolution. A chemo-dynamical analysis of 17 very metal-poor stars (VMP, [Fe/H]<−2.0) selected from the Pristine Inner Galaxy Survey was carried out based on Gemini/GRACES spectra. The chemistry suggests that the majority of our stars are very similar to metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo. Orbits calculated from Gaia EDR3 imply these stars are brought into the bulge during the earliest Galactic assembly. Most of our stars have large [Na,Ca/Mg] abundances, and thus show little evidence of enrichment by pair-instability supernovae. Two of our stars (P171457 and P184700) have chemical abundances compatible with second-generation globular cluster stars, suggestive of the presence of ancient and now dissolved globular clusters in the inner Galaxy. One of them (P171457) is extremely metal-poor ([Fe/H]<−3.0) and well below the metallicity floor of globular ...
OGLE-2009-BLG-076S: The Most Metal-Poor Dwarf Star in the Galactic Bulge
The Astrophysical Journal, 2009
Measurements based on a large number of red giant stars suggest a broad metallicity distribution function (MDF) for the Galactic bulge, centered on [Fe/H] ≈ −0.1. However, recently, a new opportunity emerged to utilize temporary flux amplification (by factors of ∼ 100 or more) of faint dwarf stars in the Bulge that are gravitationally lensed, making them observable with high-resolution spectrographs during a short observational window. Surprisingly, of the first 6 stars measured, 5 have [Fe/H] > +0.30, suggesting a highly skewed MDF, inconsistent with observations of giant stars. Here we present a detailed elemental abundance analysis of OGLE-2009-BLG-076S, based on a highresolution spectrum obtained with the UVES spectrograph at the ESO Very Large Telescope. Our results indicate it is the most metal-poor dwarf star in the Bulge yet observed, with [Fe/H] = −0.76. Our results argue against a strong selection effect disfavoring metal-poor microlensed stars. It is possible that small number statistics is responsible for the giant/dwarf Bulge MDF discrepancy. Should this discrepancy survive when larger numbers of Bulge dwarf stars (soon to be available) are analyzed, it may require modification of our understanding of either Bulge formation models, or the behavior of metal-rich giant stars.
Looking for imprints of the first stellar generations in metal-poor bulge field stars
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2016
Context. Efforts to look for signatures of the first stars have concentrated on metal-poor halo objects. However, the low end of the bulge metallicity distribution has been shown to host some of the oldest objects in the Milky Way and hence this Galactic component potentially offers interesting targets to look at imprints of the first stellar generations. As a pilot project, we selected bulge field stars already identified in the ARGOS survey as having [Fe/H] ≈ −1 and oversolar [α/Fe] ratios, and we used FLAMES-UVES to obtain detailed abundances of key elements that are believed to reveal imprints of the first stellar generations. Aims. The main purpose of this study is to analyse selected ARGOS stars using new high-resolution (R ∼ 45 000) and high-signal-tonoise (S /N > 100) spectra. We aim to derive their stellar parameters and elemental ratios, in particular the abundances of C, N, the α-elements O, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti, the odd-Z elements Na and Al, the neutron-capture s-process dominated elements Y, Zr, La, and Ba, and the r-element Eu. Methods. High-resolution spectra of five field giant stars were obtained at the 8 m VLT UT2-Kueyen telescope with the UVES spectrograph in FLAMES-UVES configuration. Spectroscopic parameters were derived based on the excitation and ionization equilibrium of Fe i and Fe ii. The abundance analysis was performed with a MARCS LTE spherical model atmosphere grid and the Turbospectrum spectrum synthesis code. Results. We confirm that the analysed stars are moderately metal-poor (−1.04 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ −0.43), non-carbon-enhanced (non-CEMP) with [C/Fe] ≤ +0.2, and α-enhanced. We find that our three most metal-poor stars are nitrogen enhanced. The α-enhancement suggests that these stars were formed from a gas enriched by core-collapse supernovae, and that the values are in agreement with results in the literature for bulge stars in the same metallicity range. No abundance anomalies (Na − O, Al − O, Al − Mg anti-correlations) were detected in our sample. The heavy elements Y, Zr, Ba, La, and Eu also exhibit oversolar abundances. Three out of the five stars analysed here show slightly enhanced [Y/Ba] ratios similar to those found in other metal-poor bulge globular clusters (NGC 6522 and M 62). Conclusions. This sample shows enhancement in the first-to-second peak abundance ratios of heavy elements, as well as dominantly s-process element excesses. This can be explained by different nucleosynthesis scenarios: (a) the main r-process plus extra mechanisms, such as the weak r-process; (b) mass transfer from asymptotic giant branch stars in binary systems; (c) an early generation of fast-rotating massive stars. Larger samples of moderately metal-poor bulge stars, with detailed chemical abundances, are needed to better constrain the source of dominantly s-process elements in the early Universe.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Recent observational studies have uncovered a small number of very metal-poor (VMP) stars with cold kinematics in the Galactic disc and bulge. However, their origins remain enigmatic. We select a total of 138 Milky Way (MW) analogues from the TNG50 cosmological simulation based on their z = 0 properties: discy morphology, stellar mass, and local environment. In order to make more predictive statements for the MW, we further limit the spatial volume coverage of stellar populations in galaxies to that targeted by the upcoming 4MOST high-resolution survey of the Galactic disc and bulge. We find that across all galaxies, ∼20 per cent of VMP ([Fe/H] < −2) stars belong to the disc, with some analogues reaching 30 per cent. About 50 ± 10 per cent of the VMP disc stars are, on average, older than 12.5 Gyr and ∼70 ± 10 per cent come from accreted satellites. A large fraction of the VMP stars belong to the halo (∼70) and have a median age of 12 Gyr. Our results with the TNG50 cosmological ...
The Astrophysical Journal, 2011
We present a comprehensive abundance analysis of 20 elements for 16 new low-metallicity stars from the Chemical Abundances of Stars in the Halo (CASH) project. The abundances have been derived from both Hobby-Eberly Telescope High Resolution Spectrograph snapshot spectra (R ∼ 15, 000) and corresponding high-resolution (R ∼ 35, 000) Magellan MIKE spectra. The stars span a metallicity range from [Fe/H] from −2.9 to −3.9, including four new stars with [Fe/H] < −3.7. We find four stars to be carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, confirming the trend of increasing [C/Fe] abundance ratios with decreasing metallicity. Two of these objects can be classified as CEMP-no stars, adding to the growing number of these objects at [Fe/H]< −3. We also find four neutron-capture enhanced stars in the sample, one of which has [Eu/Fe] of 0.8 with clear r-process signatures. These pilot sample stars are the most metal-poor ([Fe/H] −3.0) of the brightest stars included in CASH and are used to calibrate a newly-developed, automated stellar parameter and abundance determination pipeline. This code will be used for the entire ∼ 500 star CASH snapshot sample. We find that the pipeline results are statistically identical for snapshot spectra when compared to a traditional, manual analysis from a high-resolution spectrum.
The Astrophysical Journal, 2013
We present a homogeneous chemical abundance analysis of 16 elements in 190 metal-poor Galactic halo stars (38 program and 152 literature objects). The sample includes 171 stars with [Fe/H] ≤ −2.5, of which 86 are extremely metal poor, [Fe/H] ≤ −3.0. Our program stars include ten new objects with [Fe/H] ≤ −3.5. We identify a sample of "normal" metal-poor stars and measure the trends between [X/Fe] and [Fe/H], as well as the dispersion about the mean trend for this sample. Using this mean trend, we identify objects that are chemically peculiar relative to "normal" stars at the same metallicity. These chemically unusual stars include CEMP-no objects, one star with high [Si/Fe], another with high [Ba/Sr], and one with unusually low [X/Fe] for all elements heavier than Na. The Sr and Ba abundances indicate that there may be two nucleosynthetic processes at lowest metallicity that are distinct from the main r-process. Finally, for many elements, we find a significant trend between [X/Fe] versus T eff which likely reflects non-LTE and/or 3D effects. Such trends demonstrate that care must be exercised when using abundance measurements in metal-poor stars to constrain chemical evolution and/or nucleosynthesis predictions.
Light and heavy elements in the galactic bulge
Arxiv preprint astro-ph/9810125, 1998
In the context of an inside-out model for the formation of our Galaxy we present results for the chemical evolution of the Galactic bulge by assuming that this central region evolved even faster than the Galactic halo. This assumption is required in order to reproduce the observed metallicity distribution of bulge stars as obtained by .
Detailed Abundances for 28 Metal‐poor Stars: Stellar Relics in the Milky Way
The Astrophysical Journal, 2008
We present the results of an abundance analysis for a sample of stars with −4 <[Fe/H]< −2. The data were obtained with the HIRES spectrograph at Keck Observatory. The set includes 28 stars, with effective temperature ranging from 4800 to 6600 K. For 13 stars with [Fe/H]< −2.6, including nine with [Fe/H]< −3.0, and one with [Fe/H]= −4.0, these are the first reported detailed abundances. For the most metal-poor star in our sample, CS 30336-049, we measure an abundance pattern that is very similar to stars in the range [Fe/H]∼ −3.5, including a normal C+N abundance. We also find that it has very low but measurable Sr and Ba, indicating some neutron-capture activity even at this low of a metallicity. We explore this issue further by examining other very neutron-capture-deficient stars, and find that at the lowest levels, [Ba/Sr] exhibits the ratio of the main r-process. We also report on a new r-process-enhanced star, CS 31078-018. This star has [Fe/H]= −2.85, [Eu/Fe]= 1.23, and [Ba/Eu]= −0.51. CS 31078-018 exhibits an "actinide boost", i.e. much higher [Th/Eu] than expected and at a similar level to CS 31082-001. Our spectra allow us to further constrain the abundance scatter at low metallicities, which we then use to fit to the zero-metallicity Type II supernova yields of Heger & Woosley (2008). We find that supernovae with progenitor masses between 10 and 20 M ⊙ provide the best matches to our abundances.