The study analyzes the chemical composition of nine stars in the Milky Way’s Nuclear Star Cluster (NSC) using infrared spectroscopy. Most elements match the inner bulge, suggesting a shared history, but sodium levels are unexpectedly high, hinting at a unique enrichment process. This research provides crucial insights into the NSC’s evolution and its connection to the Milky Way’s central regions.

The study analyzed the chemical compositions of nine stars in the Milky Way's Nuclear Star Cluster (NSC), focusing on α-elements like magnesium, silicon, and calcium. The results reveal that the NSC shares similar chemical trends with the Galactic bulge and thick disk, indicating a shared evolutionary history characterized by rapid star formation over billions of years. This challenges theories of recent dominant starbursts in the NSC.