Hint of a bimodal Mg–Al anticorrelation in the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 4372
- 1Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de La Serena
- 2Universidad Andres Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Departamento de Física y Astronomía – Instituto de Astrofísica
Abstract
We present a detailed chemical abundance analysis of seven red giant branch stars in the very metal-poor globular cluster NGC 4372 based on high-resolution UVES spectra. Our study aims to characterize the chemical evolution of NGC 4372 and investigate the presence of multiple populations. We derived abundances for 17 elements, including light, iron-peak, α, and heavy elements, using both equivalent width and spectral synthesis methods. We find a mean cluster metallicity of [Fe/H]=−2.36 ± 0.03 dex, with no evidence of an intrinsic iron spread. The cluster exhibits a typical α-enhancement of [α/Fe]= 0.33 ± 0.05 dex and a well-defined Na-O anticorrelation, confirming that NGC 4372 hosts at least two distinct stellar populations. Furthermore, the measured ratio of [Ba/Eu]=−0.47 ± 0.04 indicates that the synthesis of heavy elements was dominated by the r-process, consistent with other very metal-poor environments. We also identify a potential bimodal Mg–Al anticorrelation, which aligns with the patterns observed in globular clusters of similar masses and metallicities. These results reinforce the status of NGC 4372 as a cornerstone for understanding the early chemical enrichment of the Galactic halo.
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BibTeX
@article{camila2026hint,
title = {{Hint of a bimodal Mg–Al anticorrelation in the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 4372}},
author = {Beltrand Camila and Uribe Macarena and Villanova Sandro and Muñoz Cesar},
journal = {Astronomy \& Astrophysics},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/202661870},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202661870},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hint of a bimodal Mg–Al anticorrelation in the metal-poor globular cluster NGC 4372
AU - Beltrand Camila
AU - Uribe Macarena
AU - Villanova Sandro
AU - Muñoz Cesar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/24
JO - Astronomy & Astrophysics
DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202661870
UR - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202661870
AB - We present a detailed chemical abundance analysis of seven red giant branch stars in the very metal-poor globular cluster NGC 4372 based on high-resolution UVES spectra. Our study aims to characterize the chemical evolution of NGC 4372 and investigate the presence of multiple populations. We derived abundances for 17 elements, including light, iron-peak, α, and heavy elements, using both equivalent width and spectral synthesis methods. We find a mean cluster metallicity of [Fe/H]=−2.36 ± 0.03 dex, with no evidence of an intrinsic iron spread. The cluster exhibits a typical α-enhancement of [α/Fe]= 0.33 ± 0.05 dex and a well-defined Na-O anticorrelation, confirming that NGC 4372 hosts at least two distinct stellar populations. Furthermore, the measured ratio of [Ba/Eu]=−0.47 ± 0.04 indicates that the synthesis of heavy elements was dominated by the r-process, consistent with other very metal-poor environments. We also identify a potential bimodal Mg–Al anticorrelation, which aligns with the patterns observed in globular clusters of similar masses and metallicities. These results reinforce the status of NGC 4372 as a cornerstone for understanding the early chemical enrichment of the Galactic halo.
SN - 0004-6361
SN - 1432-0746
ER -