Speaker: Ricardo Schiavon (Liverpool)

I will present results of a study of stellar clusters from the Andromeda galaxy (M31). The study is based on high S/N, medium-resolution, integrated spectra of M31 clusters, obtained with the MMT telescope, using the multifiber Hectospec spectrograph. On the basis of these spectra, cluster ages, and the abundances of Fe, C, N, Mg, and Ca were estimated for hundreds of M31 clusters. In contrast to previous results, it was found that the metallicity distribution of M31 globular clusters is not bimodal. Also in contrast with previous findings, our data suggest that the abundance patterns of M31 globular clusters do not differ from those of their Milky Way counterparts. In particular, our data do not support previous claims that M31 globular clusters are CN-enhanced compared to those in the Milky Way. Finally, we study the correlations of elemental abundances with globular cluster mass. The presence of a correlation between N abundances and cluster mass suggests the occurrence of a of a complex history of star formation and chemical enrichment in globular clusters. The implications of our results to our understanding of both cluster and galaxy formation will be discussed.