Chemical abundances of multiple stellar populations in massive globular clusters

TL;DR

This paper reviews the complex chemical and photometric diversity of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters, highlighting recent discoveries and the challenges in interpreting their origins and evolution.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the chemical and photometric features of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters and discusses the increasing complexity in understanding their origins.

Findings

Detection of populations with distinct Fe, C+N+O, and s-process elements

Correlation between chemical features and photometric patterns

Recognition of the growing complexity in globular cluster evolution

Abstract

Multiple stellar populations in the Milky Way globular clusters manifest themselves with a large variety. Although chemical abundance variations in light elements, including He, are ubiquitous, the amount of these variations is different in different globulars. Stellar populations with distinct Fe, C+N+O and slow-neutron capture elements have been now detected in some globular clusters, whose number will likely increase. All these chemical features correspond to specific photometric patterns. I review the chemical+photometric features of the multiple stellar populations in globular clusters and discuss how the interpretation of data is being more and more challenging. Very excitingly, the origin and evolution of globular clusters is being a complex puzzle to compose.