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Current problems on horizontal branch stars

III: An analysis of the evolutionary status of the RR Lyrae stars in the globular cluster ω cen

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Abstract

Expected characteristics of RR Lyrae stars as a function of the evolutive parameters are reported. Results from both evolutionary and pulsational investigations are collected in a suitable form, to show the general constraints to any interpretative analysis of the observations. It is shown that the spread in luminosity among the RR Lyrae stars results a function of the original chemical composition.

On this basis a set of independent indications is found, suggesting that the globular cluster ω Cen is more He-rich than M 3; agreement with the whole observational frame is attained ifY ωCen∼0.35,Z ωCen∼5×10−4 andY M3∼0.25,Z M3∼10−3. No mass loss is needed to account for the RR Lyrae stars observed in ω Cen.

The results are discussed, and it is shown that M 13-type clusters can be just characterized by a larger value ofZ in comparison with ω Cen. It is suggested that variations in the original helium content of the order of ΔY∼0.1 and a correlationZ=Z(t) can account for some well-observed galactic globular clusters, without allowing for mass loss in the redder HB stars belonging to each cluster.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio di Astrofisica Spaziale, Frascati, Italy

    Filippina Caputo

  2. Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex, England

    Vittorio Castellani

  3. Istituto di Fisica, Università di Roma, Italy

    Vittorio Castellani

Authors
  1. Filippina Caputo
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  2. Vittorio Castellani
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Caputo, F., Castellani, V. Current problems on horizontal branch stars. Astrophys Space Sci 38, 39–66 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00646098

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00646098

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