CA II TRIPLET SPECTROSCOPY OF SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD RED GIANTS. III. ABUNDANCES AND VELOCITIES FOR A SAMPLE OF 14 CLUSTERS

Journal Article · Fri May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Astronomical Journal (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/149/5/154· OSTI ID:22520203

Parisi, M. C.; Clariá, J. J.; Marcionni, N. ^[1]; Geisler, D.; Villanova, S. ^[2]; Sarajedini, A. ^[3]

---

1. Observatorio Astronómico, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laprida 854, Córdoba, CP 5000 (Argentina)
2. Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Concepción Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile)
3. Department of Astronomy, University of Florida P.O. Box 112055, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

We obtained spectra of red giants in 15 Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) clusters in the region of the Ca ii lines with FORS2 on the Very Large Telescope. We determined the mean metallicity and radial velocity with mean errors of 0.05 dex and 2.6 km s{sup −1}, respectively, from a mean of 6.5 members per cluster. One cluster (B113) was too young for a reliable metallicity determination and was excluded from the sample. We combined the sample studied here with 15 clusters previously studied by us using the same technique, and with 7 clusters whose metallicities determined by other authors are on a scale similar to ours. This compilation of 36 clusters is the largest SMC cluster sample currently available with accurate and homogeneously determined metallicities. We found a high probability that the metallicity distribution is bimodal, with potential peaks at −1.1 and −0.8 dex. Our data show no strong evidence of a metallicity gradient in the SMC clusters, somewhat at odds with recent evidence from Ca ii triplet spectra of a large sample of field stars. This may be revealing possible differences in the chemical history of clusters and field stars. Our clusters show a significant dispersion of metallicities, whatever age is considered, which could be reflecting the lack of a unique age–metallicity relation in this galaxy. None of the chemical evolution models currently available in the literature satisfactorily represents the global chemical enrichment processes of SMC clusters.

• OSTI ID: 22520203
• Journal Information: Astronomical Journal (Online), Vol. 149, Issue 5; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-3881
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
CALCIUM
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
METALLICITY
PROBABILITY
RADIAL VELOCITY
STAR CLUSTERS
STARS
TELESCOPES
TRIPLETS