Speaker: Caty Pilachowski, Univ of Indiana-Bloomington
Abstract: The globular cluster Omega Centauri continues to surprise us - a dispersion in metallicity, multiple main sequences, and even a black hole. As a laboratory for chemical enrichment, Omega Centauri is unparalled. Detailed studies of the composition of a large sample of giant stars in the cluster reveal the complex nature of chemical enrichment that occurred. Clues to the history of the cluster can be found in the changing abundances of light and heavy elements with metallicity. Comparison to other bulge, disk, and dwarf spheroidal stellar populations showing evidence of chemical enrichment suggests that Omega Centauri's path has been unique.