Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-10-25
The Metal-Rich Universe, Cambridge Contemporary Astrophysics, 2008, p.62
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
4 pages, to appear in proceedings for the "Metal-rich Universe" conference, held on La Palma, June 12-16, 2006, G. Israelian a
Scientific paper
Using the MIKE spectrograph, mounted on the 6.5 m Magellan/Clay telescope at the Las Campanas observatory in Chile, we have obtained high-resolution spectra for 60 F and G dwarf stars, all likely members of a density enhancement in the local velocity distribution, referred to as the Hercules stream. Comparing with an existing sample of 102 thin and thick disk stars we have used space velocities, detailed elemental abundances, and stellar ages to trace the origin of the Hercules stream. We find that the Hercules stream stars show a wide spread in stellar ages, metallicities, and element abundances. However, the spreads are not random but separate the Hercules stream into the abundance and age trends as outlined by either the thin disk or the thick disk. We hence claim that the major part of the Hercules stream actually are thin and thick disk stars. These diverse properties of the Hercules stream point toward a dynamical origin, probably caused by the Galactic bar. However, we can at the moment not entirely rule out that the Hercules stream could be the remnants of a relatively recent merger event.
Bensby Thomas
Feltzing Sofia
Gustafsson Bengt
Oey Sally M.
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