SIMBAD references

We present a survey of helium abundance indicators derived from a comprehensive study of globular cluster photometry in the literature. For each of the three indicators used, we conduct a thorough error analysis, and identify systematic errors in the computational procedures. For the population ratio RN_HBN_RGB, we find that there is no evidence of a trend with metallicity, although there appears to be real scatter in the values derived. Although this indicator is the one best able to provide useful absolute helium abundances, the mean value is Y~0.20, indicating the probable presence of additional systematic error.

For the magnitude difference from the horizontal branch to the main sequence Δ and the RR Lyrae mass-luminosity exponent A, it is only possible to determine relative helium abundances reliably. This is due to continuing uncertainties in the absolute metallicity scale for Δ, and uncertainty in the RR Lyrae temperature scale for A. Both indicators imply that the helium abundance is approximately constant as a function of [Fe/H]. According to the A indicator, both Oosterhoff I and II group clusters have constant values independent of [Fe/H] and horizontal branch type. In addition, the two groups have slopes dlog<]P_ab>/d[Fe/H] that are consistent with each other, but significantly smaller than the slope for the combined sample.