2017A&A...604A..41K

Globular clusters (GCs) have long been recognized as being amongst the oldest objects in the Galaxy. As such, they have the potential of playing a pivotal role in deciphering the Milky Way's early history. Here we present the first spectroscopic study of the low-mass system ESO452-SC11 using the AAOmega multifibre spectrograph at medium resolution. Given the stellar sparsity of this object and the high degree of foreground contamination due to its location toward the Galactic bulge, very few details are known for this cluster - there is no consensus, for instance, about its age, metallicity, or its association with the disk or bulge. We identify five member candidates based on common radial velocity, calcium-triplet metallicity, and position within the GC. Using spectral synthesis, the measurement of accurate Fe-abundances from Fe-lines, and abundances of several α-, Fe-peak, and neutron-capture elements (Si, Ca, Ti,Cr, Co, Ni, Sr, and Eu) is carried out, albeit with large uncertainties. We find that two of the five cluster candidates are likely non-members, as they have deviating iron abundances and [α/Fe] ratios. The cluster mean heliocentric velocity is 19±2km/s with a velocity dispersion of 2.8±3.4km/s, a low value in line with its sparse nature and low mass. The mean Fe-abundance from spectral fitting is -0.88±0.03dex, where the spread is driven by observational errors. Furthermore, the α-elements of the GC candidates are marginally lower than expected for the bulge at similar metallicities. As spectra of hundreds of stars were collected in a 2-degree field centered on ESO452-SC11, a detailed abundance study of the surrounding field was also enabled. The majority of the non-members have slightly higher [α/Fe] ratios, in line with the typical nearby bulge population. A subset of the spectra with measured Fe-peak abundance ratios shows a large scatter around solar values, albeit with large uncertainties. Furthermore, our study provides the first systematic measurements of strontium abundances in a Galactic bulge GC. Here, the Eu and Sr abundances of the GC candidates are broadly consistent with a disk or bulge association. Recent proper motions and our orbital calculations place ESO452 on an elliptical orbit in the central 3kpc of the Milky Way, establishing a firm connection with the bulge. Finally, while the radial velocities and preferential position of a dozen of stars outside the GC radius appear to imply the presence of extra-tidal stars, their significantly different chemical composition refutes this hypothesis.