2010/03/19 by Valentina D'Orazi, Sara Lucatello, Raffaele Gratton +5 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Cluster (spacecraft) #Giant star #Globular cluster #Large sample #Lithium (medication) #Scientific Research and Discoveries #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/2041-8205/713/1/l1
Published on ApJ Letters
openalex publication_date 2010/03/19 · arxiv created 2010/05/27 · arxiv updated 2015/05/18 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Previous surveys in a few metal-poor globular clusters (GCs) showed that the determination of abundances for Li and proton-capture elements offers a key tool to address the intracluster pollution scenario. In this Letter, we present Na, O, and Li abundances in a large sample of dwarf stars in the metal-rich GC 47 Tucanae. We found a clear Na–O anticorrelation, in good agreement with what obtained for giant members by Carretta et al. While lithium and oxygen abundances appear to be positively correlated with each other, there is a large scatter, well exceeding observational errors, and no anticorrelation with sodium. These findings suggest that Li depletion, due to mechanisms internal to the stars (which are cooler and more metal-rich than those on the Spite plateau), combines with the usual pollution scenario responsible for the Na–O anticorrelation.