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  • Chemical Analysis of the Ul...
    Hansen, T. T.; Marshall, J. L.; Simon, J. D.; Li, T. S.; Bernstein, R. A.; Pace, A. B.; Ferguson, P.; Nagasawa, D. Q.; Kuehn, K.; Carollo, D.; Geha, M.; James, D.; Walker, A.; Diehl, H. T.; Aguena, M.; Allam, S.; Avila, S.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Buckley-Geer, E.; Burke, D. L.; Rosell, A. Carnero; Kind, M. Carrasco; Carretero, J.; Costanzi, M.; Da Costa, L. N.; Desai, S.; Vicente, J. De; Doel, P.; Eckert, K.; Eifler, T. F.; Everett, S.; Ferrero, I.; Frieman, J.; García-Bellido, J.; Gaztanaga, E.; Gerdes, D. W.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gschwend, J.; Gutierrez, G.; Hinton, S. R.; Hollowood, D. L.; Honscheid, K.; Kuropatkin, N.; Maia, M. A. G.; March, M.; Miquel, R.; Palmese, A.; Paz-Chinchón, F.; Plazas, A. A.; Sanchez, E.; Santiago, B.; Scarpine, V.; Serrano, S.; Smith, M.; Soares-Santos, M.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. E. C.; Tarle, G.; Varga, T. N.; Wilkinson, R.

    The Astrophysical journal, 07/2020, Letnik: 897, Številka: 2
    Journal Article

    Abstract We present a detailed abundance analysis of the three brightest member stars at the top of the giant branch of the ultrafaint dwarf (UFD) galaxy Grus II. All stars exhibit a higher than expected Mg/Ca ratio compared to metal-poor stars in other UFD galaxies and in the Milky Way (MW) halo. Nucleosynthesis in high-mass ( 20 M ⊙ ) core-collapse supernovae has been shown to create this signature. The abundances of this small sample (three) stars suggests the chemical enrichment of Grus II could have occurred through substantial high-mass stellar evolution, and is consistent with the framework of a top-heavy initial mass function. However, with only three stars it cannot be ruled out that the abundance pattern is the result of a stochastic chemical enrichment at early times in the galaxy. The most metal-rich of the three stars also possesses a small enhancement in rapid neutron-capture ( r -process) elements. The abundance pattern of the r -process elements in this star matches the scaled r -process pattern of the solar system and r -process enhanced stars in other dwarf galaxies and in the MW halo, hinting at a common origin for these elements across a range of environments. All current proposed astrophysical sites of r -process element production are associated with high-mass stars, thus the possible top-heavy initial mass function of Grus II would increase the likelihood of any of these events occurring. The time delay between the α and r -process element enrichment of the galaxy favors a neutron star merger as the origin of the r -process elements in Grus II.