Phosphorus-rich star formation in giant molecular clouds hosting primordial globular clusters
Abstract
Recent observational studies have identified phosphorus-rich (P-rich) stars ([P/Fe]>1.0) in both Galactic globular clusters (GCs) including three confirmed cases and the field population. Using analytical models of GC formation, we investigate a scenario in which P-rich stars form from pristine gas in GC-forming giant molecular clouds (GMCs) polluted by oxygen-neon (ONe) novae within and surrounding the GMCs. Within this framework, we model the chemical abundance patterns of P-rich stars using diverse chemical yield sets for ONe novae while varying the dilution factor (Fdil), defined as the ratio of pristine gas mass to total ONe nova ejecta mass. The principal results of our models are as follows: Across a wide range of Fdil, most models display positive correlations between [P/Fe], [N/Fe], [O/Fe], [Al/Fe]$, [Si/Fe], [S/Fe], and [Si/S]. The [Ce/Fe] ratios in P-rich stars can reach values up to 1 if the GMCs are additionally polluted by interacting low-mass asymptotic giant branch stars.P-rich star formation is highly unlikely in environments with a low interaction frequency between GMCs and ONe novae. P-rich stars exhibit anomalously low 14N/15N, 16O/17O, and 16O/18O isotopic ratios, offering a clear observational diagnostic to test this scenario. Assuming that P-rich Galactic field stars originate from GCs, we discuss the origin of their chemical abundance patterns. We suggest that the existence of P-rich stars provides direct evidence that GC-forming GMCs were polluted by pre-existing stellar populations.
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BibTeX
@misc{bekki2026phosphorusrich,
title = {{Phosphorus-rich star formation in giant molecular clouds hosting primordial globular clusters}},
author = {Kenji Bekki and Takuji Tsujimoto},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2611.09044},
eprint = {2611.09044},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.09044},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Phosphorus-rich star formation in giant molecular clouds hosting primordial globular clusters
AU - Kenji Bekki
AU - Takuji Tsujimoto
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2611.09044
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.09044
AB - Recent observational studies have identified phosphorus-rich (P-rich) stars ([P/Fe]>1.0) in both Galactic globular clusters (GCs) including three confirmed cases and the field population. Using analytical models of GC formation, we investigate a scenario in which P-rich stars form from pristine gas in GC-forming giant molecular clouds (GMCs) polluted by oxygen-neon (ONe) novae within and surrounding the GMCs. Within this framework, we model the chemical abundance patterns of P-rich stars using diverse chemical yield sets for ONe novae while varying the dilution factor (Fdil), defined as the ratio of pristine gas mass to total ONe nova ejecta mass. The principal results of our models are as follows: Across a wide range of Fdil, most models display positive correlations between [P/Fe], [N/Fe], [O/Fe], [Al/Fe]$, [Si/Fe], [S/Fe], and [Si/S]. The [Ce/Fe] ratios in P-rich stars can reach values up to 1 if the GMCs are additionally polluted by interacting low-mass asymptotic giant branch stars.P-rich star formation is highly unlikely in environments with a low interaction frequency between GMCs and ONe novae. P-rich stars exhibit anomalously low 14N/15N, 16O/17O, and 16O/18O isotopic ratios, offering a clear observational diagnostic to test this scenario. Assuming that P-rich Galactic field stars originate from GCs, we discuss the origin of their chemical abundance patterns. We suggest that the existence of P-rich stars provides direct evidence that GC-forming GMCs were polluted by pre-existing stellar populations.
ER -