Program: GS-2015B-FT-7

Title:Stellar variability in the LMC extended main sequence globular clusters
PI:Ricardo Salinas
Co-I(s): Jay Strader, Katherina Vivas, Rodrigo Contreras

Abstract

The existence of multiple stellar populations in the massive Galactic globular clusters is now an accepted fact. In the intermediate-age globular clusters in the LMC, the presence of extended main sequence turn off points (MSTOs), initially intepreted as evidence for mutiple stellar populations, is now under scrutiny and stellar rotation has emerged as an alternative explanation. Here we propose yet another ingredient to this puzzle: the fact that the MSTO of these clusters passes through the instability strip making stellar variability a new alternative to explain this phenomenon. The proposed GMOS time series imaging of the LMC cluster NGC 1846 will be the first in-depth characterization of the variability at the MSTO level in any LMC cluster assessing the role of variability masquerading as mutiple stellar populations.

Publications using this program's data