Thursday, May 17, 2012

1205.3760 (I. R. King et al.)

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of an Outer Field in Omega Centauri: A Definitive Helium Abundance    [PDF]

I. R. King, L. R. Bedin, S. Cassisi, A. P. Milone, A. Bellini, G. Piotto, J. Anderson, A. Pietrinferni, D. Cordier
We revisit the problem of the split main sequence (MS) of the globular cluster omega Centauri, and report the results of two-epoch Hubble Space Telescope observations of an outer field, for which proper motions give us a pure sample of cluster members, and an improved separation of the two branches of the main sequence. Using a new set of stellar models covering a grid of values of helium and metallicity, we find that the best possible estimate of the helium abundance of the bluer branch of the MS is Y = 0.39 +/- 0.02. For the cluster center we apply new techniques to old observations: we use indices of photometric quality to select a high-quality sample of stars, which we also correct for differential reddening. We then superpose the color-magnitude diagram of the outer field on that of the cluster center, and suggest a connection of the bluer branch of the MS with one of the more prominent among the many sequences in the subgiant region. We also report a group of undoubted cluster members that are well to the red of the lower MS.
View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1205.3760

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