Unveiling the Secrets of Fluorine in the Stars with GIANO B: New Discoveries from Open Clusters

A team of international researchers has conducted an in-depth study on fluorine abundances in seven open clusters as part of the Stellar Population Astrophysics (SPA) program at Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG).

The study provides new insights into the chemical evolution of the Galactic disk using open clusters as they are crucial for understanding the age, evolution, and chemical properties of this portion of our Galaxy.

In particular, this work focuses on the intriguing element fluorine (F), whose cosmic origins are still not fully understood. The research also includes cerium (Ce) abundances, as F abundance is expected to correlate with s-process elements like Ce. Using the high-resolution near-infrared GIANO-B spectrograph, the team obtained spectra of stars in seven open clusters, analysed through NLTE spectral synthesis calculations.

This study successfully determined F and Ce abundances in all seven clusters and examined the radial and age distributions of abundance ratios, presenting the first Galactic radial abundance gradient for F. The findings were compared with existing literature and Galactic chemical evolution models. The study supports recent findings demonstrating that F levels remain constant for stars with solar or above-solar metallicity, except in the case of NGC 6791, which shows enhanced F abundance. The anomalous chemical composition of NGC 6791 suggests its origin in the inner regions of the Galaxy before migrating to its current position. This study highlights the need for further investigation into super-solar metallicity clusters to better understand the complex processes of Galactic chemical evolution.

This work concludes that both asymptotic giant branch stars and massive stars, including fast rotators, are necessary to explain the cosmic origin of F. This comprehensive analysis contributes significantly to the understanding of F production channels and to the chemical evolution of the Galactic disk.

The SPA program at TNG focuses on detailed, age-resolved chemical studies of the Milky Way's stellar populations. This large-scale research initiative aims to unravel the formation and evolutionary mechanisms of stars and galaxies through extensive spectroscopic observations.

More information in the paper: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024A%26A...683A.218S/abstract

Figure: Run of [F/Fe] ratios with metallicity [Fe/H] Left-hand panel: the solid lines are based on the two-infall Spitoni et al. (2019) chemical evolution models, which assume the same fluorine nucleosynthesis prescription as model F7 of Spitoni et al. (2018). Right-hand panel: models that implement the production of F from both low and intermediate mass AGB stars and massive stars (solid lines) and the models that implement the production of F from AGB stars only (dashed lines).

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Home General Info News Telescope & Instruments Observing Time Allocations & Schedules Publications Seminars Weather Webcam Outreach Gallery Links	Unveiling the Secrets of Fluorine in the Stars with GIANO B: New Discoveries from Open Clusters A team of international researchers has conducted an in-depth study on fluorine abundances in seven open clusters as part of the Stellar Population Astrophysics (SPA) program at Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). The study provides new insights into the chemical evolution of the Galactic disk using open clusters as they are crucial for understanding the age, evolution, and chemical properties of this portion of our Galaxy. In particular, this work focuses on the intriguing element fluorine (F), whose cosmic origins are still not fully understood. The research also includes cerium (Ce) abundances, as F abundance is expected to correlate with s-process elements like Ce. Using the high-resolution near-infrared GIANO-B spectrograph, the team obtained spectra of stars in seven open clusters, analysed through NLTE spectral synthesis calculations. This study successfully determined F and Ce abundances in all seven clusters and examined the radial and age distributions of abundance ratios, presenting the first Galactic radial abundance gradient for F. The findings were compared with existing literature and Galactic chemical evolution models. The study supports recent findings demonstrating that F levels remain constant for stars with solar or above-solar metallicity, except in the case of NGC 6791, which shows enhanced F abundance. The anomalous chemical composition of NGC 6791 suggests its origin in the inner regions of the Galaxy before migrating to its current position. This study highlights the need for further investigation into super-solar metallicity clusters to better understand the complex processes of Galactic chemical evolution. This work concludes that both asymptotic giant branch stars and massive stars, including fast rotators, are necessary to explain the cosmic origin of F. This comprehensive analysis contributes significantly to the understanding of F production channels and to the chemical evolution of the Galactic disk. The SPA program at TNG focuses on detailed, age-resolved chemical studies of the Milky Way's stellar populations. This large-scale research initiative aims to unravel the formation and evolutionary mechanisms of stars and galaxies through extensive spectroscopic observations. More information in the paper: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024A%26A...683A.218S/abstract Figure: Run of [F/Fe] ratios with metallicity [Fe/H] Left-hand panel: the solid lines are based on the two-infall Spitoni et al. (2019) chemical evolution models, which assume the same fluorine nucleosynthesis prescription as model F7 of Spitoni et al. (2018). Right-hand panel: models that implement the production of F from both low and intermediate mass AGB stars and massive stars (solid lines) and the models that implement the production of F from AGB stars only (dashed lines).
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