Extended Main-Sequence Turnoff and Red Clump in intermediate-age star clusters: A study of NGC 419

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution Hubble observations of NGC 419 to investigate the origins of extended main-sequence turnoffs and red clumps, finding no evidence for age spreads and highlighting limitations in current stellar models.

Contribution

It provides the first kinematic analysis of eMSTO and eRC features in NGC 419, challenging the star formation and rotation scenarios with new observational evidence.

Findings

No radial segregation in eMSTO and eRC stars.

Supports rotation as the cause of eMSTO extension.

Current models fail to reproduce both features simultaneously.

Abstract

With the goal of untangling the origin of extended main-sequence turnoffs (eMSTOs) and extended red clumps (eRCs) in star clusters, in this work we present the study of the intermediate-age cluster NGC 419, situated along the Bridge of the Small Magellanic Cloud. To this aim, we analyzed multi-epoch, high angular resolution observations acquired with the Hubble Space Telescope for this dynamically young cluster, which enabled the determination of precise proper motions and therefore the assessment of the cluster membership for each individual star in the field of view. With this unprecedented information at hand, we first studied the radial distribution of kinematically selected member stars in different eMSTO subregions. The absence of segregation supports the rotation scenario as the cause for the turnoff color extension and disfavors the presence of a prolonged period of star formation in the cluster. A similar analysis on the eRC of NGC 419 confirms the absence of segregation, providing further evidence against an age spread, which is at odds with previous investigations. Even so, the currently available evolutionary models including stellar rotation fail at reproducing the two photometric features simultaneously. We argue that either shortcomings in these models or a different origin for the red clump feature, such as a nonstandard differential mass loss along the red giant branch phase, are the only way to reconcile our observational findings with theoretical expectations.