Multiple stellar populations in the globular cluster M3 (NGC 5272): a Strömgren perspective

Davide Massari, Emilio Lapenna, Angela Bragaglia, Emanuele Dalessandro, Rodrigo Contreras Ramos, Pia Amigo

Published 2016-03-09Version 1

We present Str\"omgren photometry of the Galactic Globular Cluster M3 to study its multiple generations phenomenon. The use of different colour-magnitude diagrams and especially of the notoriously efficient c_y index allowed us to detect a double Red Giant Branch in the cluster CMD. After decontamination from fore- and background sources, the two sequences turned out to be equally populated. The two components also show a bimodal radial distribution well corresponding to that predicted by numerical simulations for clusters living in an intermediate dynamical evolutive state and with a population with modified chemical composition that was born more centrally concentrated than the primordial. The analysis of high-resolution spectra quantitatively demonstrates that the two detected sequences correspond to the first (Na-poor) generation and the second (Na-rich) generation, thus confirming the importance of synergy between photometry and spectroscopy.