Oosterhoff Dichotomy Research Articles

An `alien' called the Oosterhoff dichotomy?

In this Letter we investigate the origin of the Oosterhoff dichotomy in light of recent discoveries related to several ancient merging events of external galaxies with the Milky Way (MW). In particular, we aim to clarify if the subdivision in terms of the Oosterhoff type between Galactic globular clusters (GGCs) and field RR Lyrae (RRLs) can be traced back to one or more ancient galaxies that merged with the MW in its past. We first explored the association of GGCs with the past merging events according to different literature studies. Subsequently, we compiled the positions, proper motions, and radial velocities of 10,138 field RRL variables from Gaia Data Release 3. To infer the distances, we adopted the $M_G$-- Fe/H relation, with Fe/H values estimated via empirical relationships involving individual periods and Fourier parameters. We then calculated the orbits and the integrals of motion using the Python library Galpy for the whole sample. By comparing the location of the field RRLs in the energy--angular momentum diagram with that of the GGCs, we determined their likely origin. Finally, using Gaia G-band light curves, we determined the Oosterhoff types of our RRL stars based on their location in the Bailey diagram. The analysis of the Bailey diagrams for Galactic RRL stars and GGCs associated with an `in situ' versus `accreted' halo origin shows remarkable differences. The in situ sample shows a wide range of metallicities with a continuous distribution and no sign of the Oosterhoff dichotomy. Conversely, the accreted RRLs clearly show the Oosterhoff dichotomy and a significantly smaller dispersion in metallicity. Our results suggest that the Oosterhoff dichotomy was imported into the MW by the merging events that shaped the Galaxy.

Variable stars in galactic globular clusters. I. The population of RR Lyrae stars

We present a comprehensive catalog of $2824$ RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) residing in $115$ Galactic globular clusters (GCs). Our catalog includes 1594 fundamental-mode (RRab), 824 first-overtone (RRc), and 28 double-mode (RRd) RRLs, as well as 378 RRLs of an unknown pulsation mode. We cross-matched 481\,349 RRLs reported in the third data release (DR3) of the ESA mission and the literature to 170 known GCs. Membership probabilities were computed as the products of a position and shape-dependent prior and a likelihood was computed using parallaxes, proper motions, and, where available, radial velocities from Membership likelihoods of RRLs were computed by comparing cluster average parameters based on known member stars and the cross-matched RRLs. We determined empirical RRL instability strip (IS) boundaries based on our catalog and detected three new cluster RRLs inside this region via their excess $G-$band photometric uncertainties. We find that $77<!PCT!>$ of RRLs in GCs are included in the DR3 Specific Object Study, and $82<!PCT!>$ were classified as RRLs by the DR3 classifier, with the majority of the missing sources being located at the crowded GC centers. Surprisingly, we find that $25<!PCT!>$ of cluster member stars located within the empirical IS are not RRLs and appear to be non-variable. Additionally, we find that $80<!PCT!>$ of RRab, $84<!PCT!>$ of RRc, and $100<!PCT!>$ of the RRd stars are located within theoretical IS boundaries predicted using MESA models with $Z=0.0003$, $M=0.7$ \(M_ and $Y=0.290$. Unexpectedly, a higher $Y=0.357$ is required to fully match the location of RRc stars, and lower $Y=0.220$ is needed to match the location of RRab stars. Lastly, our catalog does not exhibit an Oosterhoff dichotomy, with at least 22 GCs located inside the Oosterhoff "gap," which is close to the mode of the distribution of mean RRL periods in GCs.

Probing the Galactic halo with RR Lyrae stars – IV. On the Oosterhoff dichotomy of RR Lyrae stars

ABSTRACT We use 3653 (2661 RRab, 992 RRc) RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) with 7D (3D position, 3D velocity, and metallicity) information selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, and Gaia EDR3, and divide the sample into two Oosterhoff groups (Oo I and Oo II) according to their amplitude–period behaviour in the Bailey diagram. We present a comparative study of these two groups based on chemistry, kinematics, and dynamics. We find that Oo I RRLs are relatively more metal-rich, with predominately radially dominated orbits and large eccentricities, while Oo II RRLs are relatively more metal-poor, and have mildly radially dominated orbits. The Oosterhoff dichotomy of the Milky Way’s halo is more apparent for the inner-halo region than for the outer-halo region. Additionally, we also search for this phenomenon in the haloes of the two largest satellite galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic clouds, and compare over different bins in metallicity. We find that the Oosterhoff dichotomy is not immutable, and varies based on position in the Galaxy and from galaxy to galaxy. We conclude that the Oosterhoff dichotomy is the result of a combination of stellar and galactic evolution, and that it is much more complex than the dichotomy originally identified in Galactic globular clusters.

Physical properties of RR Lyrae variables in Galactic globular clusters and dwarf spheroidal galaxies

We propose a tool to distinguish between Galactic globular clusters (GCs) and dwarf galaxies based on physical properties of RR Lyrae (RRL) variables in the systems. Normally, these two systems show various distinctive properties; for instance, mass, size, and luminosity. Nevertheless, these properties overlap each other in recently discovered systems. The subsequent classification between GCs and dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy is ambiguous. An RRL variable is a pulsating variable star with a short period of 0.2-1 days. It is relatively easy to observe the complete period of its light curve. The age of RRL stars is typically more than 10 Gyr; therefore, they can provide information of the host system at its early stage. In this study, we provide an extensive data collection of RRLs in 96 GCs, 23 dSphs, and 10 dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxies. Based on public catalogs, we analyze various RRL properties such as Oosterhoff dichotomy, fraction of high amplitude short period (HASP) variables, metallicity, and specific frequency of RRLs (SRR). We examine correlations among all properties in an attempt to distinguish between GCs and dSphs.

On the Use of Field RR Lyrae as Galactic Probes. I. The Oosterhoff Dichotomy Based on Fundamental Variables*

Abstract We collected a large data set of field RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) by using catalogs already available in the literature and Gaia DR2. We estimated the iron abundances for a subsample of 2382 fundamental RRLs (ΔS method: Ca ii K, Hβ, Hγ, and Hδ lines) for which there are publicly available medium-resolution SDSS-SEGUE spectra. We also included similar estimates available in the literature, ending up with the largest and most homogeneous spectroscopic data set ever collected for RRLs (2903). The metallicity scale was validated by using iron abundances based on high-resolution spectra for a fundamental field RRL (V Ind), for which we collected X-shooter spectra covering the entire pulsation cycle. The peak ([Fe/H] = −1.59 ± 0.01) and the standard deviation (σ = 0.43 dex) of the metallicity distribution agree quite well with similar estimates available in the literature. The current measurements disclose a well-defined metal-rich tail approaching solar iron abundance. The spectroscopic sample plotted in the Bailey diagram (period versus luminosity amplitude) shows a steady variation when moving from the metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −3.0/–2.5) to the metal-rich ([Fe/H] = −0.5/0.0) regime. The smooth transition in the peak of the period distribution as a function of the metallicity strongly indicates that the long-standing problem of the Oosterhoff dichotomy among Galactic globular clusters is the consequence of the lack of metal-intermediate clusters hosting RRLs. We also found that the luminosity amplitude, in contrast with period, does not show a solid correlation with metallicity. This suggests that period–amplitude–metallicity relations should be cautiously treated.

On the Oosterhoff dichotomy in the Galactic bulge: I. spatial distribution

We present a study of the Oosterhoff (Oo) dichotomy in the Galactic bulge using 8\,141 fundamental mode RR~Lyrae stars. We used public photometric data from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) and the Vista Variables in the V\'ia L\'actea survey (VVV). We carefully selected fundamental mode stars without modulation and without association with any globular cluster located toward the Galactic bulge. Subsequently, we identified and separated the Oosterhoff groups I and II on the basis of their period-amplitude distribution and using a relation fitted to the Oosterhoff I locus. Both Oosterhoff groups were then compared to observations of two bulge globular clusters and with models of stellar pulsation and evolution. We found that some of the variables classified as Oo\,II belong to a third Oo group. The Oosterhoff II variables are more metal-poor on average, more massive, and cooler than their Oosterhoff I counterparts. The analysis of their spatial distribution shows a systematic difference between \textit{foreground}, central and \textit{background} regions in the occurrence of the Oosterhoff II group. The difference between the Oo\,I and II groups is also seen in their distance distributions with respect to the Galactic bar, but neither group is associated with the bar.

Variable stars in the VVV globular clusters

The VVV survey observed some of the most crowded and most obscured regions in the inner MilkyWay during the last years. A significant sample of the less known globular clusters in our galaxy lie there. Combining the high-resolution, wide-field, nearinfrared capabilities of the survey camera, the use of 5 different filters, and multi-epoch observations, we are able to overcome many of the previous challenges that prevented a proper study of these objects. Particularly, the identification of the RR Lyrae stars in these globular clusters is proving to be a fundamental tool to establish accurately their distances and reddenings, and to infer information about the Oosterhoff dichotomy that Galactic globular clusters seem to follow.

STAR FORMATION HISTORY OF THE MILKY WAY HALO TRACED BY THE OOSTERHOFF DICHOTOMY AMONG GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

In our recent investigation of the Oosterhoff dichotomy in the multiple population paradigm, we have suggested that the RR Lyrae variables in the globular clusters (GCs) of Oosterhoff groups I, II, and III are produced mostly by first, second, and third generation stars (G1, G2, and G3), respectively. Here we show, for the first time, that the observed dichotomies in the inner and outer halo GCs can be naturally reproduced when these models are extended to all metallicity regimes, while maintaining reasonable agreements in the horizontal-branch type versus [Fe/H] correlations. In order to achieve this, however, specific star formation histories are required for the inner and outer halos. In the inner halo GCs, the star formation commenced and ceased earlier with a relatively short formation timescale between the subpopulations (?0.5 Gyr), while in the outer halo, the formation of G1 was delayed by ?0.8 Gyr with a more extended timescale between G1 and G2 (?1.4 Gyr). This is consistent with the dual origin of the Milky Way halo. Despite the difference in detail, our models show that the Oosterhoff period groups observed in both outer and inner halo GCs are all manifestations of the ?population-shift? effect within the instability strip, for which the origin can be traced back to the two or three discrete episodes of star formation in GCs.

VARIABLE STARS IN THE VVV GLOBULAR CLUSTERS. I. 2MASS-GC 02 AND TERZAN 10

The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) ESO Public Survey is opening a new window to study the inner Galactic globular clusters using their variable stars. These globular clusters have been neglected in the past due to the difficulties caused by the presence of an elevated extinction and high field stellar densities in their lines of sight. However, the discovery and study of any present variables in these clusters, especially RRLyrae stars, can help to greatly improve the accuracy of their physical parameters. It can also help to shed some light on the interrogations brought by the intriguing Oosterhoff dichotomy in the Galactic globular cluster system. In a series of papers we plan to explore the variable stars in the globular clusters falling inside the field of the VVV survey. In this first paper we search and study the variables present in two highly-reddened, moderately metal-poor, faint, inner Galactic globular clusters: 2MASS-GC02 and Terzan10. We report the discovery of sizable populations of RR Lyrae stars in both globular clusters. We use near-infrared period-luminosity relations to determine the color excess of each RR Lyrae star, from which we obtain both accurate distances to the globular clusters and the ratios of the selective to total extinction in their directions. We find the extinction towards both clusters to be elevated, non-standard, and highly differential. We also find both clusters to be closer to the Galactic center than previously thought, with Terzan10 being on the far side of the Galactic bulge. Finally, we discuss their Oosterhoff properties, and conclude that both clusters stand out from the dichotomy followed by most Galactic globular clusters.

A stellar population synthesis approach to the Oosterhoff dichotomy

We use color-magnitude diagram synthesis together with theoretical relations from non-linear pulsation models to approach the long-standing problem of the Oosterhoff dichotomy related to the distribution of the mean periods of fundamental RR Lyrae variables in globular clusters. By adopting the chemical composition determined from spectroscopic observations and a criterion to account for the hysteresis mechanism, we tuned age and mass-loss to simultaneously reproduce the morphology of both the turn-off and the Horizontal Branch of a sample of 17 globular clusters of the Milky Way and of nearby dwarf galaxies in the crucial metallicity range (-1.9<[Fe/H]<-1.4) where the Oostheroff transition is apparent. We find that the Oosterhoff dichotomy among Galactic globular clusters is naturally reproduced by models. The analysis of the relative impact of the various involved parameters indicates that the main responsibles of the dichotomy are the peculiar distribution of clusters in the age-metallicity plane and the hysteresis. In particular, there is a clear connection between the two main branches of the age-metallicity relation for Galactic globular clusters and the Oosterhoff groups. The properties of clusters' RR Lyrae belonging to other Oostheroff groups (OoInt and OoIII) are instead not well reproduced. While for OoIII clusters a larger helium abundance for a fraction of the cluster's stars can reconcile the model prediction with observations, some other parameter affecting both the Horizontal Branch morphology and the RR Lyrae periods is required to reproduce the behavior of OoInt clusters.

EXPLORING THE VARIABLE SKY WITH LINEAR. II. HALO STRUCTURE AND SUBSTRUCTURE TRACED BY RR LYRAE STARS TO 30 kpc

We present a sample of ~5,000 RR Lyrae stars selected from the recalibrated LINEAR dataset and detected at heliocentric distances between 5 kpc and 30 kpc over ~8,000 deg^2 of sky. The coordinates and light curve properties, such as period and Oosterhoff type, are made publicly available. We find evidence for the Oosterhoff dichotomy among field RR Lyrae stars, with the ratio of the type II and I subsamples of about 1:4. The number density distribution of halo RRab stars as a function of galactocentric distance can be described as an oblate ellipsoid with the axis ratio q=0.63 and with either a single or a double power law with a power-law index in the range -2 to -3. Using a group-finding algorithm EnLink, we detected seven candidate halo groups, only one of which is statistically spurious. Three of these groups are near globular clusters (M53/NGC 5053, M3, M13), and one is near a known halo substructure (Virgo Stellar Stream); the remaining three groups do not seem to be near any known halo substructures or globular clusters, and seem to have a higher ratio of Oosterhoff type II to Oosterhoff type I RRab stars than what is found in the halo. The extended morphology and the position (outside the tidal radius) of some of the groups near globular clusters is suggestive of tidal streams possibly originating from globular clusters. Spectroscopic followup of detected halo groups is encouraged.

Looking for building blocks of the Galactic halo: variable stars in the Fornax, Bootes I, Canes Venatici II dwarfs and in NGC 2419

AbstractΛ cold-dark-matter hierarchical models of galaxy formation suggest that the halo of the Milky Way (MW) has been assembled, at least in part, through accretion of protogalactic fragments partially resembling the present-day dwarf spheroidal (dSph) satellites of the MW. Investigation of the stellar populations of the MW's globular clusters (GCs) and dSph companions can thus provide excellent tests to infer the dominant Galaxy-formation scenario, whether merger/accretion or cloud collapse. Pulsating variable stars offer a very powerful tool in this context, since variables of different types allow tracing the different stellar generations in a galaxy and to reconstruct the galaxy's star-formation history and assembly back to the first epochs of galaxy formation. In particular, the RR Lyrae stars, belonging to the old population (t &gt; 10 Gyr), witnessed the epoch of halo formation, and thus hold a crucial role to identify the MW satellites that may have contributed to build up the Galactic halo. In the MW, most GCs with an RR Lyrae population sharply divide into two distinct groups (Oosterhoff types I and II) based on the mean periods and relative proportion of fundamental-mode (RRab) and first-overtone (RRc) RR Lyrae stars. On the other hand, the Galactic-halo field RR Lyrae stars show a dominance of Oosterhoff I properties. Here, we investigate the Oosterhoff properties of a number of different stellar systems, starting from relatively undisturbed dwarf galaxies (the Fornax dSph and its globular clusters), through distorted and tidally disrupting ones (the Bootes and Canes Venatici II dSphs), to possible final relics of the disruption process (the Galactic globular cluster NGC 2419). We are addressing the crucial question of whether the RR Lyrae pulsation properties in these systems conform to the Oosterhoff dichotomy characterizing the MW variables. If they do not, the Galaxy's halo cannot have been assembled by dSph-like protogalactic fragments resembling the present-day dSph companions of the MW. We have reduced and combined long time series from different telescopes, both ground- and space-based. Variable stars have been detected with image-subtraction techniques using the package isis2.1. Periods, amplitudes and Oosterhoff type for all variable stars, as well as color–magnitude diagrams of the stellar populations are discussed for each stellar cluster analyzed.

Horizontal branch stars: the interplay between observations and theory, and insights into the formation of the Galaxy

We review and discuss horizontal branch (HB) stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of globular clusters in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude, with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC—an argument which, due to its strong reliance on the ancient RR Lyrae stars, is essentially independent of the chemical evolution of these systems after the very earliest epochs in the Galaxy’s history. Convenient analytical fits to isochrones in the HB type–[Fe/H] plane are also provided. In this sense, a rediscussion of the second-parameter problem is also presented, focusing on the cases of NGC 288/NGC 362, M13/M3, the extreme outer-halo globular clusters with predominantly red HBs, and the metal-rich globular clusters NGC 6388 and NGC 6441. The recently revived possibility that the helium abundance may play an important role as a second parameter is also addressed, and possible constraints on this scenario discussed. We critically discuss the possibility that the observed properties of HB stars in NGC 6388 and NGC 6441 might be accounted for if these clusters possess a relatively minor population of helium-enriched stars. A technique is proposed to estimate the HB types of extragalactic globular clusters on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The importance of bright type II Cepheids as tracers of faint blue HB stars in distant systems is also emphasized. The relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax measurements for the star RR Lyr, is also revisited. Taking into due account the evolutionary status of RR Lyr, the derived relation implies a true distance modulus to the LMC of (m–M)0=18.44±0.11. Techniques providing discrepant slopes and zero points for the MV(RRL)–[Fe/H] relation are briefly discussed. We provide a convenient analytical fit to theoretical model predictions for the period change rates of RR Lyrae stars in globular clusters, and compare the model results with the available data. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of low-mass stars are also investigated.

RR Lyrae Stars in the Boötes Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

We present a catalog of 15 RR Lyrae variable stars in the recently discovered Bootes galaxy -- the most metal-poor simple stellar population with measured RR Lyrae stars. The pulsational properties of the RR Lyrae conform closely to period-abundance trends extrapolated from more metal-rich populations and we estimate the distance of Bootes to be (m-M)_0=18.96+-0.12. The average period (0.69 days), the ratio of type c to type ab pulsators (0.53) and the RRab period shift (-0.07) indicate an Oosterhoff II classification for Bootes, a marked contrast to the other dSph galaxies, which are Oosterhoff intermediate. This supports the contention that the Oosterhoff dichotomy is a continuum -- that RR Lyrae properties, to first order, vary smoothly with abundance. The dSph galaxies are not distinct from the Galactic globular clusters, but bridge the Oosterhoff gap. The absence of any anomalous Cepheids in Bootes could indicate the lack of an intermediate age population.

RR Lyrae variables in globular clusters and nearby galaxies

AbstractI point out that the Oosterhoff dichotomy for globular cluster and field RR Lyrae stars may place the strongest constraints so far on the number of dwarf spheroidal-like protogalactic fragments that may have contributed to the formation of the Galactic halo. The first calibration of the RR Lyrae period-luminosity relation in I, J, H, K taking evolutionary effects into account is provided. Problems in the interpretation of RR Lyrae light curves and evolutionary properties are briefly reviewed.

The Carina Project. I. Bright Variable Stars

We present new BV time series data of the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Current data cover an area of about 0.3 square degrees around the center of the galaxy and allowed us to identify 92 variables. Among them 75 are RR Lyrae stars, 15 are bona fide Anomalous Cepheids, one might be a Galactic field RR Lyrae, and one is located along the Carina Red Giant Branch. Expanding upon the seminal photographic investigation by Saha, Monet & Seitzer (1986) we supply for the first time accurate estimates of their pulsation parameters (periods, amplitudes, mean magnitude and colors) on the basis of CCD photometry. Approximately 50% of both RR Lyrae and Anomalous Cepheids are new identifications. Among the RR Lyrae sample 6 objects are new candidate double-mode variables. On the basis of their pulsation properties we estimated that two variables (V152, V182) are about 50% more massive than typical RR Lyrae stars, while the bulk of the Anomalous Cepheids are roughly a factor of two more massive than fundamental mode RR Lyrae stars. This finding supports the evidence that these objects are intermediate-mass stars during central He burning phases. The data for Carina, together with data available in the literature, strongly support the conclusion that dSph galaxies can barely be classified into the classical Oosterhoff dichotomy. The mean period of fundamental mode RR Lyrae in Carina resembles that found for Oosterhoff type II clusters, whereas the ratio between first overtones and total number of RR Lyrae is quite similar to that found in Oosterhoff type I clusters.

An aligned stream of low-metallicity clusters in the halo of the Milky Way.

One of the long-standing problems in modern astronomy is the curious division of Galactic globular clusters, the "Oosterhoff dichotomy," according to the properties of their RR Lyrae stars. Here, we find that most of the lowest metallicity ([Fe/H] < -2.0) clusters, which are essential to an understanding of this phenomenon, display a planar alignment in the outer halo. This alignment, combined with evidence from kinematics and stellar population, indicates a captured origin from a satellite galaxy. We show that, together with the horizontal-branch evolutionary effect, the factor producing the dichotomy could be a small time gap between the cluster-formation epochs in the Milky Way and the satellite. The results oppose the traditional view that the metal-poorest clusters represent the indigenous and oldest population of the Galaxy.

RR Lyrae Luminosity Differences between Oosterhoff Group I and II Cluster Systems and the Origin of the Oosterhoff Dichotomy

We present a comparative study of the Oosterhoff II cluster M2 and the Oosterhoff I cluster M3. Both have similar metallicities, [Fe/H] = -1.62 for M2 and -1.66 for M3, but very different horizontal-branch (HB) morphologies (B-R)/(B + V + R) = 0.92 for M2 and 0.08 for M3. A period shift analysis and main-sequence fitting show that RRab variables in M2 are about 0.2 mag brighter than those in M3. Comparisons of the M2 period shift with Oosterhoff I clusters NGC 3201 and NGC 7006 also yield similar results, while a comparison between M2 and the Oosterhoff II cluster NGC 5986 reveals that the RR Lyrae luminosities are very similar. The luminosity difference is thought to be due to the evolutionary effect described in 1990 by Lee, Demarque, & Zinn: the M2 RRab variables have evolved away from the zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB), while most M3 RRab variables lie near the ZAHB. A comparison of the mean period change rates of two clusters supports this hypothesis. Our relative age estimation using the difference in color between the base of giant branch and turn-off point shows that M2 is about 2 Gyr older than M3. Our result strongly suggests that the Oosterhoff dichotomy is due to age differences between Oosterhoff group I and II. This is consistent with the idea that the global second parameter is age. We discuss the kinematic differences between Oosterhoff group I and II clusters. Our result shows that the Oosterhoff group I clusters have zero or retrograde rotation with vrot = -68 ± 56 km s-1 and σlos = 131 ± 28 km s-1, while the Oosterhoff group II clusters have prograde rotation with vrot = +94 ± 47 km s-1 and σlos = 115 ± 29 km s-1, confirming a similar conclusion of van den Bergh. The difference in kinematics and ages between Oosterhoff group I and II clusters suggests that they may have different origins: The Oosterhoff II clusters were formed very early in the proto-Galaxy while the Oosterhoff I clusters were formed at different locations and at a later time, and were probably merger events. The period distributions of an unbiased sample of field RRab variables with | Z | ≤ 3 kpc and | Z | ≥ 5 kpc indicate that they may belong to different populations, with peak periods of 0.65 and 0.55 days, respectively. If the hypothesis that the Oosterhoff dichotomy is due to evolution is correct, then this period shift among the field RR Lyrae variables suggests that the RRab population with | Z | ≤ 3 kpc is somewhat older than the RRab population with | Z | ≥ 5 kpc. This also suggests different formation histories. In an appendix, we discuss that the frequently used Gaussian HB mass-dispersion rate (i.e., the mass-loss rate at the red giant branch [RGB] tip) in synthetic HB model calculations cannot fully explain the extended blue HB population and the pulsational properties of RR Lyrae variables in M2. Comparisons with synthetic HB models strongly suggests that an enhanced mass loss is required that extends the HB toward lower HB masses. We also discuss statistical effects on the metallicity estimate using P0,min for field RRab variables reported by Castellani, Maceroni, & Tosi in 1983. Our calculations suggest that the statistical effect is sufficient to explain the apparent gradient in P0,min without introducing a metallicity gradient.

The RR Lyrae Period-Amplitude Relation as a Clueto the Origin of the Oosterhoff Dichotomy

An examination of the period-V amplitude relation for RRab stars (fundamental mode pulsators) with "normal" light curves in the Oosterhoff type I clusters M3 and M107 and in the Oosterhoff type II clusters M9 and M68 reveals that the V amplitude for a given period is not a function of metal abundance. Rather, it is a function of the Oosterhoff type. This result is confirmed by published observations of RRab stars in M4, M5, and M92. A method devised by Jurcsik & Kovács has been used to determine whether the light curve of an RRab star is "normal" or "peculiar." Although M3 is considered to belong to the Oosterhoff type I group, it has three bright RRab stars that seem to fit the period-amplitude relation for Oosterhoff type II RRab stars. There is evidence that these bright stars are in a more advanced evolutionary state than the other RRab stars in M3, thus leading to the conclusion that the Oosterhoff dichotomy is due to evolution. Our result gives support to the Lee, Demarque, & Zinn hypothesis that most RR Lyrae variables in Oosterhoff type I clusters are zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB) objects, while those in the Oosterhoff type II clusters are more evolved. This may have important implications for the derived ages of Oosterhoff type II clusters. If their RR Lyrae variables have all evolved away from the ZAHB, then their ages have been overestimated in studies that assume they are ZAHB objects.

RR Lyrae Luminosity Differences between Oosterhoff Group I and II Cluster Systems and the Origin of the Oosterhoff Dichotomy

RR Lyrae Luminosity Differences between Oosterhoff Group I and II Cluster Systems and the Origin of the Oosterhoff Dichotomy