Stellar Systems Group

Villanova, Sandro; Monaco, Lorenzo; Geisler, Doug; O’Connell, Julia; Minniti, Dante; Assmann, Paulina; Barbá, Rodolfo
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 882, Issue 2, article id. 174, 9 pp. (2019).
09/2019

ABSTRACT

We present detailed chemical abundances, radial velocity, and orbital parameters for FSR 1758, a recently discovered massive cluster in the direction of the Galactic bulge. High-resolution (R ∼ 42,000) spectra were obtained for nine members using the Magellan/Clay telescope instrumented with the MIKE echelle spectrogragh in the wavelength range of ∼4900─8700 Å. Cluster membership was determined using Gaia DR2 proper motions and confirmed with our radial velocity measurements. We find a metallicity of [Fe/H] = −1.58 ± 0.03, consistent with previous photometric estimates, and no significant iron spread. While other studies have suggested that this massive object could be the remnant of a captured dwarf galaxy, our results are consistent with a globular cluster (GC) nature, given its lack of any intrinsic metallicity spread and the Na─O anticorrelation similar to those of other GC. In addition, the small velocity dispersion of 4.9 ± 1.2 km s−1 we find is that typical of a GC. We also confirm a retrograde orbit that appears to be highly eccentric suggesting it is a halo interloper currently in the bulge. We support the hypothesis that FSR 1758 was part of a disrupted dwarf galaxy named Sequoia. Based on observations carried out at the Magellan/Clay telescope under program CN2018B-71.