Origin of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters and their helium enrichment

TL;DR

This paper critically compares various scenarios for the origin of helium-enriched multiple populations in globular clusters, concluding that AGB star pollution is the most viable explanation under specific conditions.

Contribution

It identifies the AGB star pollution scenario as the most plausible origin of multiple populations, emphasizing the need for rapid envelope ejection and a dwarf galaxy progenitor.

Findings

AGB star pollution best explains helium enrichment.

Accretion or star formation from outflow disks causes helium spread.

Population III pollution cannot produce helium-only enrichment.

Abstract

The various scenarios proposed for the origin of the multiple, helium-enriched populations in massive globular clusters are critically compared to the relevant constraining observations. Among accretion of helium-rich material by pre-existing stars, star formation out of ejecta from massive AGB stars or from fast rotating massive stars, and pollution by Population III stars, only the AGB option appears to be viable. Accretion or star formation out of outflowing disks would result in a spread of helium abundances, thus failing to produce the distinct, chemically homogeneous sub-populations such as those in the clusters $\omega$ Cen and NGC 2808. Pollution by Population III stars would fail to produce sub-populations selectively enriched in helium, but maintaining the same abundance of heavy elements. Still, it is argued that for the AGB option to work two conditions should be satisfied: i) AGB stars experiencing the hot bottom burning process (i.e., those more massive than $\sim 3 \msun$) should rapidly eject their envelope upon arrival on the AGB, thus experiencing just a few third dredge-up episodes, and ii) clusters with multiple, helium enriched populations should be the remnants of much more massive systems, such as nucleated dwarf galaxies, as indeed widely assumed.