Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21543530k&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #435.30; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.384
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Globular clusters were once thought to contain a single, simple stellar population. Newer observations have shown evidence of multiple stellar populations in some clusters. These multiple populations are thought to arise from separate distinct eras of star formation, with the new stars incorporating processed material from the previous generation. The conditions under which this new star formation occur are not yet fully understood. NGC 6441 is one of the most massive and most metal-rich of the globular clusters in our galaxy. Previous studies have shown strong evidence for multiple stellar generations in NGC 6441, in particular the structure of the Horizontal Branch. One current theory suggests that processed material from the initial population condenses in the center of the cluster, leading to a second generation of stars. Thus, the newer enriched stars are expected to be observed in the center of the cluster. However, our study shows that the distribution of HB stars in NGC 6441 is not strongly centrally concentrated, in opposition to the theory. Our study makes use of publicly available HST WFPC2 photometry in B, V, I, and the near UV filters F218W and F255W. We would like to thank the NSF as this research is supported by grant AST-0507785
Kato Taichi
Krogsrud David
Sandquist Eric
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