2006/01/18 by S. S. Larsen, L. Origlia, Jean P. Brodie +2 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Abundance (ecology) #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Cluster (spacecraft) #Emission spectrum #Equivalent width #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Physics #Spectral line #Spectrograph #Spectroscopy #Spiral galaxy #Star cluster #Star formation #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Velocity dispersion #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2006.00148.x
published as Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.Lett. 368 (2006) L10-L14 · 5 pages, incl. 2 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters. The definitive version will be available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com
arxiv created 2006/01/18 · openalex publication_date 2006/02/24 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract Using the NIRSPEC spectrograph at Keck II, we have obtained H- and K-band echelle spectra for a young (∼10–15 Myr), luminous (MV∼−13.2) super-star cluster in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 6946. From spectral synthesis and equivalent width measurements we obtain for the first time accurate abundances and abundance patterns in an extragalactic super-star cluster. We find [Fe/H]=−0.45 ± 0.08 dex, an average α-enhancement of ≈+0.22 ± 0.1 dex, and a relatively low 12 C/13 C ≈ 8 ± 2 isotopic ratio. We also measure a velocity dispersion of ≈9.1 km s−1, in agreement with previous estimates. We conclude that integrated high-dispersion spectroscopy of massive star clusters is a promising alternative to other methods for abundance analysis in extragalactic young stellar populations.