Examines chemical abundances in ultrafaint dwarf galaxies, suggesting unique stellar origins.
We present detailed chemical abundances of the brightest star in each of the ultrafaint dwarf galaxies Eridanus IV and Centaurus I using high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy. The brightest star in Centaurus I, CenI-5136, is a very metal-poor star with metallicity [Fe/H] = −2.52 ± 0.17 and chemical abundances typical of a star in an ultrafaint dwarf galaxy. We confirm that the star in Eridanus IV, EriIV-9808, is extremely metal poor ([Fe/H] = −3.25 ± 0.19) and find that it is carbon enhanced ([C/Fe] = 1.07 ± 0.34), as is common for many stars at this metallicity. Both stars are also neutron-capture deficient, which is typical of stars in ultrafaint dwarf galaxies, but less common in other environments. We consider possible enrichment scenarios for EriIV-9808 and tentatively conclude that it is unlikely to be the descendant of a single Population III progenitor, despite its carbon enhancement and low metallicity.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Heiger et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: