Analysis of Red Supergiants in VDBH 222

Abstract

Abstract: Recent surveys uncovered new young massive clusters (YMCs) that host dozens of red supergiants (RSGs) in the inner Milky Way. These clusters are ideal for studying the most recent and violent star formation events in the inner Galaxy. However, due to the high extinction that affects the Galactic plane, they need to be studied through infrared (IR) spectroscopy. IR spectra of RSGs have proven to be powerful tools for obtaining chemical abundances. We present the first [Fe/H] measurement (−0.07 ± 0.02) for the YMC VdBH 222 through analysis of its RSGs using Very Large Telescope/X-shooter spectra. We find no evidence for multiple stellar populations in this YMC, contrary to what is routinely observed in older massive clusters.