Galactic Metallicity Gradient Research Articles

Quokka-based understanding of outflows (QED) – I. Metal loading, phase structure, and convergence testing for solar neighbourhood conditions

ABSTRACT Multiphase galactic outflows, generated by supernova (SN) feedback, are likely to be more metal rich than the interstellar media from which they are driven due to incomplete mixing between SN ejecta and the ambient interstellar medium. This enrichment is important for shaping galactic metallicities and metallicity gradients, but measuring it quantitatively from simulations requires resolution high enough to resolve mass, momentum and energy exchanges between the different phases of the outflows. In this context, we present QED, which are simulations of outflows, driven by SN feedback, conducted using Quokka, a new GPU-optimized adaptive mesh refinement radiation-hydrodynamics code. This code allows us to reach combinations of resolution, simulation volume, and simulation duration larger than those that have previously been possible, and to resolve all gas phases from cold neutral medium, T ∼ 100 K, to hot ionized gas, T ≳ 107 K. In this, a first of a series of papers exploring generation and evolution of multiphase outflows from a wide range of galactic environments and star formation rates, we quantify the extent of selective metal loading in solar neighbourhood-like environments. We explain the selective metal loading, we find as a result of the transport of metals within and between phases, a phenomenon we can study owing to the parsec-scale resolution that our simulations achieve. We also quantify the sensitivity of metal loading studies to numerical resolution, and present convergence criteria for future studies.

Parameter Estimation for Open Clusters using an Artificial Neural Network with a QuadTree-based Feature Extractor

With the unprecedented increase in the number of known star clusters, quick and modern tools are needed for their analysis. In this work, we develop an artificial neural network (ANN) trained on synthetic clusters to estimate the age, metallicity, extinction, and distance of Gaia open clusters. We implement a novel technique to extract features from the color–magnitude diagram of clusters by means of the QuadTree tool, and we adopt a multiband approach. We obtain reliable parameters for ∼5400 clusters. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our methodology in accurately determining crucial parameters of Gaia open clusters by performing a comprehensive scientific validation. In particular, with our analysis we have been able to reproduce the Galactic metallicity gradient as it is observed by high-resolution spectroscopic surveys. This demonstrates that our method reliably extracts information on metallicity from color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of stellar clusters. For the sample of clusters studied, we find an intriguing systematic older age compared to previous analyses present in the literature. This work introduces a novel approach to feature extraction using a QuadTree algorithm, effectively tracing sequences in CMDs despite photometric errors and outliers. The adoption of ANNs, rather than convolutional neural networks, maintains the full positional information and improves performance, while also demonstrating the potential for deriving cluster parameters from simultaneous analysis of multiple photometric bands, beneficial for upcoming telescopes like the Vera Rubin Observatory. The implementation of ANN tools with robust isochrone fit techniques could provide further improvements in the quest for open cluster parameters.

The Galactic Interstellar Object Population: A Framework for Prediction and Inference

The Milky Way is thought to host a huge population of interstellar objects (ISOs), numbering approximately 1015 pc−3 around the Sun, which are formed and shaped by a diverse set of processes ranging from planet formation to Galactic dynamics. We define a novel framework, first to predict the properties of this Galactic ISO population by combining models of processes across planetary and Galactic scales, and second to make inferences about the processes being modeled, by comparing the predicted population to what is observed. We predict the spatial and compositional distribution of the Galaxy’s population of ISOs by modeling the Galactic stellar population with data from the APOGEE survey and combining this with a protoplanetary disk chemistry model. Selecting the ISO water mass fraction as an example observable quantity, we evaluate its distribution both at the position of the Sun and averaged over the Galactic disk; our prediction for the solar neighborhood is compatible with the inferred water mass fraction of 2I/Borisov. We show that the well-studied Galactic stellar metallicity gradient has a corresponding ISO compositional gradient. We also demonstrate the inference part of the framework by using the current observed ISO composition distribution to constrain the parent star metallicity dependence of the ISO production rate. This constraint, and other inferences made with this framework, will improve dramatically as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time progresses and more ISOs are observed. Finally, we explore generalizations of this framework to other Galactic populations, such as that of exoplanets.

Spectroscopic age estimates for APOGEE red-giant stars: Precise spatial and kinematic trends with age in the Galactic disc

Over the last few years, many studies have found an empirical relationship between the abundance of a star and its age. Here we estimate spectroscopic stellar ages for 178 825 red-giant stars observed by the APOGEE survey with a median statistical uncertainty of 17%. To this end, we use the supervised machine learning technique XGBoost, trained on a high-quality dataset of 3060 red-giant and red-clump stars with asteroseismic ages observed by both APOGEE and Kepler. After verifying the obtained age estimates with independent catalogues, we investigate some of the classical chemical, positional, and kinematic relationships of the stars as a function of their age. We find a very clear imprint of the outer-disc flare in the age maps and confirm the recently found split in the local age-metallicity relation. We present new and precise measurements of the Galactic radial metallicity gradient in small age bins between 0.5 and 12 Gyr, confirming a steeper metallicity gradient for ∼2 − 5 Gyr old populations and a subsequent flattening for older populations mostly produced by radial migration. In addition, we analyse the dispersion about the abundance gradient as a function of age. We find a clear power-law trend (with an exponent β ≈ 0.15) for this relation, indicating a relatively smooth radial migration history in the Galactic disc over the past 7 − 9 Gyr. Departures from this power law may possibly be related to the Gaia Enceladus merger and passages of the Sagittarius dSph galaxy. Finally, we confirm previous measurements showing a steepening in the age-velocity dispersion relation at around ∼9 Gyr, but now extending it over a large extent of the Galactic disc (5 kpc < RGal < 13 kpc). To establish whether this steepening is the imprint of a Galactic merger event, however, detailed forward modelling work of our data is necessary. Our catalogue of precise stellar ages and the source code to create it are publicly available.

Mapping the Galactic Metallicity Gradient with Open Clusters: The State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges

In this paper, we make use of data collected for open cluster members by high-resolution spectroscopic surveys and programmes (i.e., APOGEE, Gaia-ESO, GALAH, OCCASO, and SPA). These data have been homogenised and then analysed as a whole. The resulting catalogue contains [Fe/H] and orbital parameters for 251 Galactic open clusters. The slope of the radial metallicity gradient obtained through 175 open clusters with high-quality metallicity determinations is −0.064 ± 0.007 dex kpc−1. The radial metallicity distribution traced by open clusters flattens beyond RGal = 12.1 ± 1.1 kpc. The slope traced by open clusters in the [Fe/H]-Lz diagram is −0.31 ± 0.02 × 103 dex km−1 kpc−1 s, but it flattens beyond Lz = 2769 ± 177 km kpc s−1. In this paper, we also review some high-priority practical challenges around the study of open clusters that will significantly push our understanding beyond the state-of-the-art. Finally, we compare the shape of the galactic radial metallicity gradient to those of other spiral galaxies.

The Galactic metallicity gradient shown by open clusters in the light of radial migration

ABSTRACT During the last years and decades, several individual studies and large-scale spectroscopic surveys significantly improved our knowledge of the Galactic metallicity distribution based on open clusters. The availability of Gaia data provided a further step forward in our knowledge. However, still some open issues remain, for example, the influence of radial migration on the interpretation of the observed gradients. We used spectroscopic metallicities from individual studies and from the APOGEE survey to compile a sample of 136 open clusters, with a membership verification based on Gaia DR2. Additionally, we present photometric metallicity estimates of 14 open clusters in a somewhat outer Galactic region. Eight age groups allow us to study the evolution of the metallicity gradient in detail, showing within the errors an almost constant gradient of about −0.06 dex kpc−1. Furthermore, using the derived gradients and an analysis of the individual objects, we estimate a mean migration rate of 1 kpc Gyr−1 for objects up to about 2 Gyr. Here, the change of the guiding radius is clearly the main contributor. For older and dynamically hotter objects up to 6 Gyr we infer a lower migration rate of up to 0.5 kpc Gyr−1. The influence of epicyclic excursions increases with age and contributes already about 1 kpc to the total migration distance after 6 Gyr. A comparison of our results with available models shows good agreement. However, there is still a lack of a suitable coverage of older objects, future studies are still needed to provide a better sampling in this respect.

Chemical abundance of the LINER galaxy UGC 4805 with SDSS-IV MaNGA

ABSTRACT Chemical abundance determinations in Low-Ionization Nuclear Emission-line Regions (LINERs) are especially complex and uncertain because the nature of the ionizing source of this kind of object is unknown. In this work, we study the oxygen abundance in relation to the hydrogen abundance (O/H) of the gas phase of the UGC 4805 LINER nucleus. Optical spectroscopic data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies survey was employed to derive the O/H abundance of the UGC 4805 nucleus based on the extrapolation of the disc abundance gradient, on calibrations between O/H abundance and strong emission-lines for active galactic nuclei (AGNs) as well as on photoionization models built with the Cloudy code, assuming gas accretion into a black hole (AGN) and post-asymptotic giant branch (p-AGB) stars with different effective temperatures. We found that abundance gradient extrapolations, AGN calibrations, AGN, and p-AGB photoionization models produce similar O/H values for the UGC 4805 nucleus and similar ionization parameter values. The study demonstrated that the methods used to estimate the O/H abundance using nuclear emission-line ratios produce reliable results, which are in agreement with the O/H values obtained from the independent method of galactic metallicity gradient extrapolation. Finally, the results from the WHAN diagram combined with the fact that the high excitation level of the gas has to be maintained at kpc scales, we suggest that the main ionizing source of the UGC 4805 nucleus probably has a stellar origin rather than an AGN.

The relevance of the Gaia-ESO Survey on the Galactic metallicity gradient: Focus on open clusters

AbstractAn overview of the Gaia-ESO Survey project is presented, with focus on open star clusters and their use to trace the radial metallicity gradient in the thin disc.

NGC 6067: a young and massive open cluster with high metallicity

NGC 6067 is a young open cluster hosting the largest population of evolved stars among known Milky Way clusters in the 50-150 Ma age range. It thus represents the best laboratory in our Galaxy to constrain the evolutionary tracks of 5-7 M$_{\odot}$ stars. We have used high-resolution spectra of a large sample of bright cluster members (45), combined with archival photometry, to obtain accurate parameters for the cluster as well as stellar atmospheric parameters. We derive a distance of 1.78$\pm$0.12 kpc, an age of 90$\pm$20 Ma and a tidal radius of 14.8$^{6.8}_{3.2}$ arcmin. We estimate an initial mass above 5700 M$_{\odot}$, for a present-day evolved population of two Cepheids, two A supergiants and 12 red giants with masses $\approx$6 M$_{\odot}$. We also determine chemical abundances of Li, O, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Ni, Rb, Y and Ba for the red clump stars. We find a supersolar metallicity, [Fe/H]=+0.19$\pm$0.05, and a homogeneus chemical composition, consistent with the Galactic metallicity gradient. The presence of a Li-rich red giant, star 276 with A(Li)=2.41, is also detected. An over-abundance of Ba is found, supporting the enhanced $s$-process. The ratio of yellow to red giants is much smaller than one, in agreement with models with moderate overshooting, but the properties of the cluster Cepheids do not seem consistent with current Padova models for supersolar metallicity.

DISCOVERY OF AN EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF RED SUPERGIANTS IN THE INNER GALAXY

ABSTRACT In this Letter, we present a search for Galactic red supergiant stars (RSGs) in the direction of the inner Galaxy. A total of 94 targets selected from the 2MASS and GLIMPSE I North catalogs—via their blue extinction-free Q1 and Q2 colors—were spectroscopically observed at infrared wavelengths (in the H- and K-bands at R ∼ 1000), and an extraordinary high detection rate of RSGs ( > 61 % ) was found. We identified spectroscopically 58 RSGs, based on their flat continua and large equivalent widths of the CO-band at 2.293 μm (EW > 45 Å). This increase corresponds to about 25% of previously known RSGs in the Galactic region 10° < l < 60°, −1.°1 < b < 1.°1. In order to confirm the location of the new RSGs in the inner Galaxy, distances were estimated for a subsample of 47 stars with the clump method and found to range from 3.6 ± 0.4 to 8.6 ± 0.7 kpc. The large new sample will allow us to investigate Galactic metallicity gradients as a function of galactocentric distances and azimuthal angles. Such information is currently an highly disputed issue to constrain models of Galaxy formation and evolution.

Open cluster Dolidze 25: Stellar parameters and the metallicity in the Galactic anticentre

The young open cluster Dolidze 25, in the direction of the Galactic Anticentre, has been attributed a very low metallicity, with typical abundances between $-0.5$ and $-0.7$ dex below solar. We intend to derive accurate cluster parameters and accurate stellar abundances for some of its members. We have obtained a large sample of intermediate- and high-resolution spectra for stars in and around Dolidze 25. We used the FASTWIND code to generate stellar atmosphere models to fit the observed spectra. We derive stellar parameters for a large number of OB stars in the area, and abundances of oxygen and silicon for a number of stars with spectral types around B0. We measure low abundances in stars of Dolidze 25. For the three stars with spectral types around B0, we find $0.3$ dex (Si) and $0.5$ dex (O) below the values typical in the solar neighbourhood. These values, even though not as low as those given previously, confirm Dolidze 25 and the surrounding H II region Sh2-284 as the most metal-poor star-forming environment known in the Milky Way. We derive a distance $4.5\pm0.3\:$kpc to the cluster ($r_{\textrm{G}}\approx12.3\:$kpc). The cluster cannot be older than $\sim3\:$Myr, and likely is not much younger. One star in its immediate vicinity, sharing the same distance, has Si and O abundances at most $0.15\:$dex below solar. The low abundances measured in Dolidze 25 are compatible with currently accepted values for the slope of the Galactic metallicity gradient, if we take into account that variations of at least $\pm0.15\:$dex are observed at a given radius. The area traditionally identified as Dolidze 25 is only a small part of a much larger star-forming region that comprises the whole dust shell associated with Sh2-284 and very likely several other smaller H II regions in its vicinity.

CHEMICAL CARTOGRAPHY WITH APOGEE: METALLICITY DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS AND THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE MILKY WAY DISK

Using a sample of 69,919 red giants from the SDSS-III/APOGEE Data Release 12, we measure the distribution of stars in the [$\alpha$/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] plane and the metallicity distribution functions (MDF) across an unprecedented volume of the Milky Way disk, with radius $3<R<15$ kpc and height $|z|<2$ kpc. Stars in the inner disk ($R<5$ kpc) lie along a single track in [$\alpha$/Fe] vs. [Fe/H], starting with $\alpha$-enhanced, metal-poor stars and ending at [$\alpha$/Fe]$\sim0$ and [Fe/H]$\sim+0.4$. At larger radii we find two distinct sequences in [$\alpha$/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] space, with a roughly solar-$\alpha$ sequence that spans a decade in metallicity and a high-$\alpha$ sequence that merges with the low-$\alpha$ sequence at super-solar [Fe/H]. The location of the high-$\alpha$ sequence is nearly constant across the disk, however there are very few high-$\alpha$ stars at $R>11$ kpc. The peak of the midplane MDF shifts to lower metallicity at larger $R$, reflecting the Galactic metallicity gradient. Most strikingly, the shape of the midplane MDF changes systematically with radius, with a negatively skewed distribution at $3<R<7$ kpc, to a roughly Gaussian distribution at the solar annulus, to a positively skewed shape in the outer Galaxy. For stars with $|z|>1$ kpc or [$\alpha$/Fe]$>0.18$, the MDF shows little dependence on $R$. The positive skewness of the outer disk MDF may be a signature of radial migration; we show that blurring of stellar populations by orbital eccentricities is not enough to explain the reversal of MDF shape but a simple model of radial migration can do so.

RRab Lyrae metallicity gradient in the Galactic bulge

Aims. We revisit the presence and significance of the Galactic bulge metallicity gradients, using the OGlE-III RR Lyrae sample. Methods. We implemented a Monte Carlo simulation to account for observational uncertainties and systematic errors to test the presence, significance, and spatial variation of RR Lyr photometric metallicity gradients within the Galactic bulge. Furthermore, we take special consideration to identify and account for possible observational and statistical biases, which may introduce an apparent metallicity gradient into the sample. Results. We find a mean Galactic bulge RRab metallicity of −0.97 ± 0.29 dex, a global radial metallicity gradient of −0.016 ± 0.008 dex Kpc-1 , and a global vertical metallicity gradient of −0.063 ± 0.013 dex Kpc-1 . Furthermore, neither the global radial nor vertical gradients can be explained by random chance, unjustified extrapolation of the metallicity calibration law, or induced by a Malmquist bias.

The radial metallicity gradient and the history of elemental enrichment in M 81 through emission-line probes

We present a new set of weak-line abundances of HII regions in M81, based on Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) observations. The aim is to derive plasma and abundance analysis for a sizable set of emission-line targets to study the galactic chemical contents in the framework of galactic metallicity gradients. We used the weak-line abundance approach by deriving electron density and temperatures for several HII regions in M81. Gradient analysis is based on oxygen abundances.Together with a set of HII region abundances determined similarly by us with Multi-Mirror Telescope (MMT) spectra, the new data yield to a radial oxygen gradient of -0.088$\pm$0.013 dex kpc$^{-1}$, which is steeper than the metallicity gradient obtained for planetary nebulae (-0.044$\pm$0.007 dex kpc$^{-1}$). This result could be interpreted as gradient evolution with time: Models of galactic evolution with inside-out disk formation associated to pre-enriched gas infall would produce such difference of gradients, although stellar migration effects would also induce a difference in the metallicity gradients between the old and young populations. By comparing the M81 metallicity gradients with those of other spiral galaxies, all consistently derived from weak-line analysis, we can infer that similar gradient difference is common among spirals. The metallicity gradient slopes for HII regions and PNe seem to be steeper in M81 than in other galactic disks, which is likely due to the fact that M81 belongs to a galaxy group. We also found that M81 has experienced an average oxygen enrichment of 0.14$\pm$0.08 dex in the spatial domain defined by the observations. Our data are compatible with a break in the radial oxygen gradient slope around R$_{25}$ as inferred by other authors both in M81 and in other galaxies.

Towards a photometric metallicity scale for open clusters

Open clusters are a useful tool when investigating several topics connected with stellar evolution; for example the age or distance can be more accurately determined than for field stars. However, one important parameter, the metallicity, is only known for a marginal percentage of open clusters. We aim at a consistent set of parameters for the open clusters investigated in our photometric Delta-a survey of chemically peculiar stars. Special attention is paid to expanding our knowledge of cluster metallicities and verifying their scale. Making use of a previously developed method based on normalised evolutionary grids and photometric data, the distance, age, reddening, and metallicity of open clusters were derived. To transform photometric measurements into effective temperatures to use as input for our method, a set of temperature calibrations for the most commonly used colour indices and photometric systems was compiled. We analysed 58 open clusters in total. Our derived metallicity values were in excellent agreement with about 30 spectroscopically studied targets. The mean value of the absolute deviations was found to be 0.03 dex, with no noticeable offset or gradient. The method was also applied using recent evolutionary models based on the currently accepted lower solar abundance value Z=0.014. No significant differences were found compared to grids using the former adopted solar value Z=0.02. Furthermore, some divergent photometric datasets were identified and discussed. The method provides an accurate way of obtaining properly scaled metallicity values for open clusters. In light of present and future homogeneous photometric sky surveys, the sample of stellar clusters can be extended to the outskirts of the Milky Way, where spectroscopic studies are almost impossible. This will help for determining galactic metallicity gradients in more detail.

Galactic distributions of carbon- and oxygen-rich AGB stars revealed by the AKARI mid-infrared all-sky survey

Context: The environmental conditions for asympotic giant branch (AGB) stars to reach the carbon-rich (C-rich) phase are important to understand the evolutionary process of AGB stars. The difference between the spatial distributions of C-rich and oxygen-rich (O-rich) AGB stars is essential for the study of the Galactic structure and the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium (ISM). Aims: We quantitatively investigate the spatial distributions of C-rich and O-rich AGB stars in our Galaxy. We discuss the difference between them and its origin. Methods: We classify a large number of AGB stars newly detected by the AKARI id-infrared all-sky survey. In the color-color diagrams, we define their occupation zones based on the locations of known objects. We then obtain the spatial distributions of C-rich and O-rich AGB stars, assuming that they have the same luminosity for a given mass-loss rate. Results: We find that O-rich AGB stars are concentrated toward the Galactic center and that the density decreases with Galactocentric distance, whereas C-rich AGB stars show a relatively uniform distribution within about 8kpc of Sun. Conclusion: Our result confirms the trends reported in previous studies and extends them to a Galactic scale. We discuss the relations between our result, the Galactic metallicity gradient, and the chemical evolution of the ISM in our Galaxy.

Old open clusters and the Galactic metallicity gradient: Berkeley 20, Berkeley 66 and Tombaugh 2★

To study the crucial range of Galactocentric distances between 12 and 16 kpc, where little information is available, we have obtained VI CCD imaging of Berkeley 20 and BVI CCD imaging of Berkeley 66 and Tombaugh 2, three distant, old open clusters. Using the synthetic colour magnitude diagram (CMD) technique with three types of evolutionary tracks of different metallicities, we have determined age, distance, reddening and indicative metallicity of these systems. The CMD of Be 20 is best reproduced by stellar models with a metallicity about half of solar (Z=0.008 or 0.01), in perfect agreement with high resolution spectroscopic estimates. Its age is between 5 and 6 Gyr from stellar models with overshooting and between 4.3 and 4.5 Gyr from models without it. The distance modulus from the best fitting models is always (m-M)0=14.7 (corresponding to a Galactocentric radius of about 16 kpc), and the reddening E(B-V) ranges between 0.13 and 0.16. A slightly lower metallicity (Z ~ 0.006) appears to be more appropriate for Be 66. This cluster is younger, (age of 3 Gyr), and closer, (m-M)0=13.3 (i.e., at 12 kpc from the Galactic centre), than Be 20, and suffers from high extinction, 1.2 < E(B-V) < 1.3, variable at the 2-3 per cent level. Finally, the results for To 2 indicate that it is an intermediate age cluster, with an age of about 1.4 Gyr or 1.6-1.8 Gyr for models without and with overshooting, respectively. The metallicity is about half of solar (Z=0.006 to 0.01), in agreement with spectroscopic determinations. The distance modulus is (m-M)0=14.5, implying a distance of about 14 kpc from the Galactic centre; the reddening E(B-V) is 0.31-0.4, depending on the model and metallicity, with a preferred value around 0.34.

Open clusters towards the Galactic centre: chemistry and dynamics

In the framework of the study of the Galactic metallicity gradient and its time evolution, we present new high-resolution spectroscopic observations obtained with FLAMES and the fiber link to UVES at VLT of three open clusters (OCs) located within $\sim$7~kpc from the Galactic Center (GC): NGC~6192, NGC~6404, NGC~6583. We also present new orbit determination for all OCs with Galactocentric distances (R$_{\rm{GC}}) \leq$8~kpc and metallicity from high-resolution spectroscopy. We aim to investigate the slope of the inner disk metallicity gradient as traced by OCs and at discussing its implication on the chemical evolution of our Galaxy. We have derived memberships of a group of evolved stars for each clusters, obtaining a sample of 4, 4, and 2 member stars in NGC~6192, NGC~6404, and NGC~6583, respectively. Using standard LTE analysis we derived stellar parameters and abundance ratios for the iron-peak elements Fe, Ni, Cr, and for the $\alpha$-elements Al, Mg, Si, Ti, Ca. We calculated the orbits of the OCs currently located within 8~kpc from the GC, and discuss their implication on the present-time radial location. {The average metallicities of the three clusters are all oversolar: [Fe/H]= $+0.12\pm0.04$ (NGC~6192), $+0.11\pm0.04$ (NGC 6404), $+0.37\pm0.03$ (NGC 6583). They are in qualitative agreement with their Galactocentric distances, being all internal OCs, and thus expected to be metal richer than the solar neighborhood. The abundance ratios of the other elements over iron [X/Fe] are consistent with solar values. The clusters we have analysed, together with other OC and Cepheid data, confirm a steep gradient in the inner disk, a signature of an evolutionary rate different than in the outer disk.

On the metallicity of open clusters

Metallicity is one of four free parameters typically considered when fitting isochrones to the cluster sequence. Unfortunately, this parameter is often ignored or assumed to be solar in most papers. Hence an unknown bias is introduced in the estimation of the other three cluster parameters (age, reddening and distance). Furthermore, studying the metallicity of open clusters allows us not only to derive the Galactic abundance gradient on a global scale, but also to trace the local solar environment in more detail. In a series of three papers, we investigate the current status of published metallicities for open clusters from widely different photometric and spectroscopic methods. A detailed comparison of the results allows us to establish more reliable photometric calibrations and corrections for isochrone fitting techniques. Well established databases such as WEBDA help us to perform a homogeneous analysis of available measurements for a significant number of open clusters. The literature was searched for [Fe/H] estimates on the basis of photometric calibrations in any available filter system. On the basis of results published by Tadross, we demonstrate the caveats of the calibration choice and its possible impact. In total, we find 406 individual metallicity values for 188 open clusters within 64 publications. The values were, finally, unweightedly averaged. Our final sample includes [Fe/H] values for 188 open clusters. Tracing the solar environment within 4000x4000 pc**2 we identify a patchy metallicity distribution as an extension to the Local Bubble that significantly influences the estimation of the Galactic metallicity gradient, even on a global scale. In addition, further investigations of more distant open clusters are clearly needed to obtain a more profound picture at Galactocentric distances beyond 10 000 pc.

THE GALACTIC STRUCTURE AND CHEMICAL EVOLUTION TRACED BY THE POPULATION OF PLANETARY NEBULAE

We use an extended and homogeneous data set of Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) to study the metallicity gradients and the Galactic structure and evolution. The most up-to-date abundances, distances (calibrated with Magellanic Cloud PNe) have been employed, together with a novel homogeneous morphological classification, to characterize the different PN populations. We confirm that morphological classes have a strong correlation with PN Peimbert's Type, and also with their distribution on the Galactic landscape. We studied the alpha-element distribution within the Galactic disk, and found that the best selected disk population, together with the most reliable PN distance scale yields to a radial oxygen gradient of d[log(O/H)]/dR=-0.023 +- 0.006 dex/ kpc for the whole disk sample, and of d[log(O/H)]/dR= -0.035+-0.024, -0.023+-0.005, and -0.011+-0.013 dex/kpc respectively for Type I, II, and III PNe. Neon gradients for the same PN types confirm the trend. Accurate statistical analysis show moderately high uncertainties in the slopes, but also confirm the trend of steeper gradient for PNe with more massive progenitors, indicating a possible steepening with time of the Galactic disk metallicity gradient. The PN metallicity gradients presented here are consistent with the local metallicity distribution; furthermore, oxygen gradients determined with young and intermediate age PNe show good consistency with oxygen gradients derived respectively from other young (OB stars, HII regions) and intermediate (open cluster) Galactic populations. We also extend the Galactic metallicity gradient comparison by revisiting the open cluster [Fe/H] data from high resolution spectroscopy. The analysis suggests that they could be compliant with the same general picture of a steepening of gradient with time.