Raffaele Gratton

Bio: Raffaele Gratton is an academic researcher from INAF. The author has contributed to research in topics: Stars & Globular cluster. The author has an hindex of 79, co-authored 383 publications receiving 24493 citations. Previous affiliations of Raffaele Gratton include San Antonio River Authority.

Abundance Variations within Globular Clusters

Abstract: ▪ Abstract Abundance variations within globular clusters (GCs), and of GC stars with respect to field stars, are important diagnostics of a variety of physical phenomena, related to the evolution of individual stars, mass transfer in binary systems, and chemical evolution in high density environments. The broad astrophysical implications of GCs as building blocks of our knowledge of the Universe make a full understanding of their history and evolution basic in a variety of astrophysical fields. We review the current status of the research in this field, comparing the abundances in GCs with those obtained for field stars, discussing in depth the evidence for H-burning at high temperatures in GC stars, describing the process of self-enrichment in GCs with particular reference to the case of the most massive Galactic GC (ω Cen), and discussing various classes of cluster stars with abundance anomalies. Whereas the overall pattern might appear very complex at first sight, exciting new scenarios are opening whe...

Na-O Anticorrelation and HB. VII. The chemical composition of first and second-generation stars in 15 globular clusters from GIRAFFE spectra

Abstract: We present abundances of Fe, Na, and O for 1409 red giant stars in 15 galactic globular clusters (GCs), derived from the homogeneous analysis of high-resolution FLAMES/GIRAFFE spectra. Combining the present data with results from our FLAMES/UVES spectra and from previous studies within the project, we obtained a total sample of 1958 stars in 19 clusters, the largest and most homogeneous database of this kind to date. The programme clusters cover a range in metallicity from [Fe/H] = −2. 4d ex to [Fe/H] = −0.4 dex, with a wide variety of global parameters (morphology of the horizontal branch, mass, concentration, etc.). For all clusters we find the Na-O anticorrelation, the classical signature of the operation of proton-capture reactions in H-burning at high temperature in a previous generation of more massive stars that are now extinct. Using quantitative criteria (from the morphology and extension of the Na-O anticorrelation), we can define three different components of the stellar population in GCs. We separate a primordial component (P) of first-generation stars, and two components of second-generation stars, that we name intermediate (I) and extreme (E) populations from their different chemical composition. The P component is present in all clusters, and its fraction is almost constant at about one third. The I component represents the bulk of the cluster population. On the other hand, E component is not present in all clusters, and it is more conspicuous in some (but not in all) of the most massive clusters. We discuss the fractions and spatial distributions of these components in our sample and in two additional clusters (M 3 = NGC 5272 and M 13 = NGC6205) with large sets of stars analysed in the literature. We also find that the slope of the anti-correlation (defined by the minimum O and maximum Na abundances) changes from cluster-to-cluster, a change that is represented well by a bilinear relation on cluster metallicity and luminosity. This second dependence suggests a correlation between average mass of polluters and cluster mass.

Multiple populations in globular clusters. Lessons learned from the Milky Way globular clusters

Abstract: Recent progress in studies of globular clusters has shown that they are not simple stellar populations, being rather made of multiple generations. Evidence stems both from photometry and spectroscopy. A new paradigm is then arising for the formation of massive star clusters, which includes several episodes of star formation. While this provides an explanation for several features of globular clusters, including the second parameter problem, it also opens new perspectives about the relation between globular clusters and the halo of our Galaxy, and by extension of all populations with a high specific frequency of globular clusters, such as, e.g., giant elliptical galaxies. We review progress in this area, focusing on the most recent studies. Several points remain to be properly understood, in particular those concerning the nature of the polluters producing the abundance pattern in the clusters and the typical timescale, the range of cluster masses where this phenomenon is active, and the relation between globular clusters and other satellites of our Galaxy.

Multiple populations in globular clusters

Abstract: Recent progress in studies of globular clusters has shown that they are not simple stellar populations, but rather are made up of multiple generations. Evidence stems both from photometry and spectroscopy. A new paradigm is arising for the formation of massive star clusters, which includes several episodes of star formation. While this provides an explanation for several features of globular clusters, including the second-parameter problem, it also opens new perspectives on the relation between globular clusters and the halo of our Galaxy, and by extension on all populations with a high specific frequency of globular clusters, such as, e.g., giant elliptical galaxies. We review progress in this area, focussing on the most recent studies. Several points remain to become properly understood, in particular those concerning the nature of the polluters producing the abundance pattern in the clusters and the typical timescale, the range of cluster masses where this phenomenon is active, and the relation between globular clusters and other satellites of our Galaxy.

Abundances for globular cluster giants: I. homogeneous metallicities for 24 clusters

Abstract: We have obtained high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio CCD echelle spectra of 10 bright red giants in 3 globular clusters (47 Tuc, NGC 6752 and NGC 6397) roughly spanning the whole range of metallicities of the galactic globular cluster system. The analysis of this newly acquired material reveals no significant evidence of star-to-star variation of the [Fe/H] ratio in these three clusters. Moreover, a large set of high quality literature data (equivalent widths from high dispersion CCD spectra) was re-analyzed in an homogeneous and self-consistent way to integrate our observations and derive new metal abundances for more than 160 bright red giants in 24 globular clusters (i.e. about 16% of the known population of galactic globulars). This set was then used to define a new metallicity scale for globular clusters which is the result of high quality, direct spectroscopic data, of new and updated model atmospheres from the grid of Kurucz(1992), and of a careful fine abundance analysis; this last, in turn, is based on a common set of both atomic and atmospheric parameters for all the stars examined. Given the very high degree of internal homogeneity, our new scale supersedes the offsets and discrepancies existing in previous attempts to obtain a metallicity scale. The internal uncertainty in [Fe/H] is very small: 0.06 dex (24 clusters) on average, and can be interpreted also as the mean precision of the cluster ranking. Compared to our system, metallicities on the widely used Zinn and West's scale are about 0.10 dex higher for [Fe/H], 0.23 dex lower for [Fe/H] and 0.11 dex too high for [Fe/H]. The non-linearity of the Zinn and West's scale is significant even at 3σ level. A quadratic transformation is given to correct older values to the new scale in the range of our calibrating clusters ([Fe/H]). A minor disagreement is found at low metallicities between the metallicity scale based on field and cluster RR Lyrae variables (via a new calibration of the index) and our new cluster metallicities. It could be tentatively ascribed to non-linearity in the [Fe/H] relationship. The impact of new metallicities on major astrophysical problems is exemplified through a simple exercise on the Oosterhoff effect in the classical pair M 3 and M 15.

Measurements of Omega and Lambda from 42 High-Redshift Supernovae

Abstract: We report measurements of the mass density, Omega_M, and cosmological-constant energy density, Omega_Lambda, of the universe based on the analysis of 42 Type Ia supernovae discovered by the Supernova Cosmology Project. The magnitude-redshift data for these SNe, at redshifts between 0.18 and 0.83, are fit jointly with a set of SNe from the Calan/Tololo Supernova Survey, at redshifts below 0.1, to yield values for the cosmological parameters. All SN peak magnitudes are standardized using a SN Ia lightcurve width-luminosity relation. The measurement yields a joint probability distribution of the cosmological parameters that is approximated by the relation 0.8 Omega_M - 0.6 Omega_Lambda ~= -0.2 +/- 0.1 in the region of interest (Omega_M <~ 1.5). For a flat (Omega_M + Omega_Lambda = 1) cosmology we find Omega_M = 0.28{+0.09,-0.08} (1 sigma statistical) {+0.05,-0.04} (identified systematics). The data are strongly inconsistent with a Lambda = 0 flat cosmology, the simplest inflationary universe model. An open, Lambda = 0 cosmology also does not fit the data well: the data indicate that the cosmological constant is non-zero and positive, with a confidence of P(Lambda > 0) = 99%, including the identified systematic uncertainties. The best-fit age of the universe relative to the Hubble time is t_0 = 14.9{+1.4,-1.1} (0.63/h) Gyr for a flat cosmology. The size of our sample allows us to perform a variety of statistical tests to check for possible systematic errors and biases. We find no significant differences in either the host reddening distribution or Malmquist bias between the low-redshift Calan/Tololo sample and our high-redshift sample. The conclusions are robust whether or not a width-luminosity relation is used to standardize the SN peak magnitudes.

Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant

Abstract: We present spectral and photometric observations of 10 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the redshift range 0.16 " z " 0.62. The luminosity distances of these objects are determined by methods that employ relations between SN Ia luminosity and light curve shape. Combined with previous data from our High-z Supernova Search Team and recent results by Riess et al., this expanded set of 16 high-redshift supernovae and a set of 34 nearby supernovae are used to place constraints on the following cosmo- logical parameters: the Hubble constant the mass density the cosmological constant (i.e., the (H 0 ), () M ), vacuum energy density, the deceleration parameter and the dynamical age of the universe ) " ), (q 0 ), ) M \ 1) methods. We estimate the dynamical age of the universe to be 14.2 ^ 1.7 Gyr including systematic uncer- tainties in the current Cepheid distance scale. We estimate the likely e†ect of several sources of system- atic error, including progenitor and metallicity evolution, extinction, sample selection bias, local perturbations in the expansion rate, gravitational lensing, and sample contamination. Presently, none of these e†ects appear to reconcile the data with and ) " \ 0 q 0 " 0.

Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant To Appear in the Astronomical Journal

Abstract: We present spectral and photometric observations of 10 type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the redshift range 0.16 � z � 0.62. The luminosity distances of these objects are determined by methods that employ relations between SN Ia luminosity and light curve shape. Combined with previous data from our High-Z Supernova Search Team (Garnavich et al. 1998; Schmidt et al. 1998) and Riess et al. (1998a), this expanded set of 16 high-redshift supernovae and a set of 34 nearby supernovae are used to place constraints on the following cosmological parameters: the Hubble constant (H0), the mass density (M), the cosmological constant (i.e., the vacuum energy density, �), the deceleration parameter (q0), and the dynamical age of the Universe (t0). The distances of the high-redshift SNe Ia are, on average, 10% to 15% farther than expected in a low mass density (M = 0.2) Universe without a cosmological constant. Different light curve fitting methods, SN Ia subsamples, and prior constraints unanimously favor eternally expanding models with positive cosmological constant (i.e., � > 0) and a current acceleration of the expansion (i.e., q0 < 0). With no prior constraint on mass density other than M � 0, the spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia are statistically consistent with q0 < 0 at the 2.8�

First year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations: Determination of cosmological parameters

Abstract: WMAP precision data enable accurate testing of cosmological models. We find that the emerging standard model of cosmology, a flat � -dominated universe seeded by a nearly scale-invariant adiabatic Gaussian fluctuations, fits the WMAP data. For the WMAP data only, the best-fit parameters are h ¼ 0:72 � 0:05, � bh 2 ¼ 0:024 � 0:001, � mh 2 ¼ 0:14 � 0:02, � ¼ 0:166 þ0:076 � 0:071 , ns ¼ 0:99 � 0:04, and � 8 ¼ 0:9 � 0:1. With parameters fixed only by WMAP data, we can fit finer scale cosmic microwave background (CMB) measure- ments and measurements of large-scale structure (galaxy surveys and the Lyforest). This simple model is also consistent with a host of other astronomical measurements: its inferred age of the universe is consistent with stellar ages, the baryon/photon ratio is consistent with measurements of the (D/H) ratio, and the inferred Hubble constant is consistent with local observations of the expansion rate. We then fit the model parameters to a combination of WMAP data with other finer scale CMB experiments (ACBAR and CBI), 2dFGRS measurements, and Lyforest data to find the model's best-fit cosmological parameters: h ¼ 0:71 þ0:04 � 0:03 , � bh 2 ¼ 0:0224 � 0:0009, � mh 2 ¼ 0:135 þ0:008 � 0:009 , � ¼ 0:17 � 0:06, ns(0.05 Mpc � 1 )=0 :93 � 0:03, and � 8 ¼ 0:84 � 0:04. WMAP's best determination of � ¼ 0:17 � 0:04 arises directly from the temperature- polarization (TE) data and not from this model fit, but they are consistent. These parameters imply that the age of the universe is 13:7 � 0:2 Gyr. With the Lyforest data, the model favors but does not require a slowly varying spectral index. The significance of this running index is sensitive to the uncertainties in the Ly� forest. By combining WMAP data with other astronomical data, we constrain the geometry of the universe, � tot ¼ 1:02 � 0:02, and the equation of state of the dark energy, w < � 0:78 (95% confidence limit assuming w �� 1). The combination of WMAP and 2dFGRS data constrains the energy density in stable neutrinos: � � h 2 < 0:0072 (95% confidence limit). For three degenerate neutrino species, this limit implies that their mass is less than 0.23 eV (95% confidence limit). The WMAP detection of early reionization rules out warm dark matter. Subject headings: cosmic microwave background — cosmological parameters — cosmology: observations — early universe On-line material: color figure

The Cosmological Constant and Dark Energy

Abstract: Physics welcomes the idea that space contains energy whose gravitational effect approximates that of Einstein's cosmological constant, \ensuremath{\Lambda}; today the concept is termed dark energy or quintessence. Physics also suggests that dark energy could be dynamical, allowing for the arguably appealing picture of an evolving dark-energy density approaching its natural value, zero, and small now because the expanding universe is old. This would alleviate the classical problem of the curious energy scale of a millielectron volt associated with a constant \ensuremath{\Lambda}. Dark energy may have been detected by recent cosmological tests. These tests make a good scientific case for the context, in the relativistic Friedmann-Lema\^{\i}tre model, in which the gravitational inverse-square law is applied to the scales of cosmology. We have well-checked evidence that the mean mass density is not much more than one-quarter of the critical Einstein--de Sitter value. The case for detection of dark energy is not yet as convincing but still serious; we await more data, which may be derived from work in progress. Planned observations may detect the evolution of the dark-energy density; a positive result would be a considerable stimulus for attempts at understanding the microphysics of dark energy. This review presents the basic physics and astronomy of the subject, reviews the history of ideas, assesses the state of the observational evidence, and comments on recent developments in the search for a fundamental theory.