* Astronomy

Title: Fluorine variations in the globular cluster NGC 6656 (M22): implications for internal enrichment timescales
Authors: Valentina D'Orazi, Sara Lucatello, Maria Lugaro, Raffaele G. Gratton, George Angelou, Angela Bragaglia, Eugenio Carretta, Alan Alves-Brito, Inese I. Ivans, Thomas Masseron, Alessio Mucciarelli

Observed chemical (anti)correlations in proton-capture elements among globular cluster stars are presently recognised as the signature of self-enrichment from now extinct, previous generations of stars. This defines the multiple population scenario. Since fluorine is also affected by proton captures, determining its abundance in globular clusters provides new and complementary clues regarding the nature of these previous generations, and supplies strong observational constraints to the chemical enrichment timescales. In this paper we present our results on near-infrared CRIRES spectroscopic observations of six cool giant stars in NGC 6656 (M22): the main objective is to derive the F content and its internal variation in this peculiar cluster, which exhibits significant changes in both light and heavy element abundances. We detected F variations across our sample beyond the measurement uncertainties and found that the F abundances are positively correlated with O and anticorrelated with Na, as expected according to the multiple population framework. Furthermore, our observations reveal an increase in the F content between the two different sub-groups, s-process rich and s-process poor, hosted within M22. The comparison with theoretical models suggests that asymptotic giant stars with masses between 4-5 solar masses are responsible for the observed chemical pattern, confirming evidence from previous works: the difference in age between the two sub-components in M22 must be not larger than a few hundreds Myr.

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Title: Two stellar-mass black holes in the globular cluster M22
Authors: Jay Strader (Michigan State), Laura Chomiuk (NRAO/Michigan State), Thomas Maccarone (Southampton), James Miller-Jones (ICRAR-Curtin), Anil Seth (Utah)

Hundreds of stellar-mass black holes likely form in a typical globular star cluster, with all but one predicted to be ejected through dynamical interactions. Some observational support for this idea is provided by the lack of X-ray-emitting binary stars comprising one black hole and one other star ("black-hole/X-ray binaries") in Milky Way globular clusters, even though many neutron-star/X-ray binaries are known. Although a few black holes have been seen in globular clusters around other galaxies, the masses of these cannot be determined, and some may be intermediate-mass black holes that form through exotic mechanisms. Here we report the presence of two flat-spectrum radio sources in the Milky Way globular cluster M22, and we argue that these objects are black holes of stellar mass (each ~ 10-20 times more massive than the Sun) that are accreting matter. We find a high ratio of radio-to-X-ray flux for these black holes, consistent with the larger predicted masses of black holes in globular clusters compared to those outside. The identification of two black holes in one cluster shows that the ejection of black holes is not as efficient as predicted by most models, and we argue that M22 may contain a total population of ~ 5-100 black holes. The large core radius of M22 could arise from heating produced by the black holes.

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Title: CNO and F abundances in the globular cluster M22 (NGC 6656)
Authors: Alan Alves-Brito, David Yong, Jorge Meléndez, Sergio Vásquez, Amanda I. Karakas

Recent studies have confirmed the long standing suspicion that M22 shares a metallicity spread and complex chemical enrichment history similar to that observed in Omega Cen. M22 is among the most massive Galactic globular clusters and its colour-magnitude diagram and chemical abundances reveal the existence of sub-populations. To further constrain the chemical diversity of M22, necessary to interpret its nucleosynthetic history, we seek to measure relative abundance ratios of key elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine) best studied, or only available, using high-resolution spectra at infrared wavelengths. High-resolution (R = 50,000) and high S/N infrared spectra were acquired of nine red giant stars with Phoenix at the Gemini-South telescope. Chemical abundances were calculated through a standard 1D local thermodynamic equilibrium analysis using Kurucz model atmospheres. We derive [Fe/H] = -1.87 to -1.44, confirming at infrared wavelengths that M22 does present a [Fe/H] spread. We also find large C and N abundance spreads, which confirm previous results in the literature but based on a smaller sample. Our results show a spread in A(C+N+O) of ~ 0.7 dex. Similar to mono-metallic GCs, M22 presents a strong [Na/Fe]-[O/Fe] anticorrelation as derived from Na and CO lines in the K band. For the first time we recover F abundances in M22 and find that it exhibits a 0.6 dex variation. We find tentative evidence for a flatter A(F)-A(O) relation compared to higher metallicity GCs. Our study confirms and expands upon the chemical diversity seen in this complex stellar system. All elements studied to date show large abundance spreads which require contributions from both massive and low mass stars.

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Scientists detect low mass, faint star

Together with a Polish-Chilean team of researchers, Philippe Jetzer, a Swiss astrophysicist from the University of Zurich has now detected a low-mass star in globular cluster M22 for the first time.
The star was "seen" using a strange gravitational effect called microlensing.
Until now, it was merely assumed that low-mass and therefore extremely faint stars must exist, but even the most modern telescopes find them almost impossible to detect.
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