On the Iron content of NGC 1978 in the LMC: a metal rich, chemically homogeneous cluster

May, 2006
14 pages
Published in:
  • Astrophys.J.Lett. 645 (2006) L33-L36
e-Print:

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Abstract: (arXiv)
We present a detailed abundance analysis of giant stars in NGC 1978, a massive, intermediate-age stellar cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud, characterized by a high ellipticity and suspected to have a metallicity spread. We analyzed 11 giants, all cluster members, by using high resolution spectra acquired with the UVES/FLAMES spectrograph at the ESO-Very Large Telescope. We find an iron content of [Fe/H]=-0.38 dex with very low (0.07 dex) dispersion, and a mean heliocentric radial velocity Vr=293.1 (with an error of 0.9 km/s) and a velocity dispersion (3.1 km/s), thus excluding the presence of a significant metallicity, as well as velocity, spread within the cluster.
  • globular clusters: individual (NGC 1978)
  • Magellanic Clouds
  • stars: abundances
  • techniques: spectroscopic