M22: A [Fe/H] Abundance Range Revealed
  Intermediate resolution spectra at the Ca II triplet have been obtained for
55 candidate red giants in the field of the globular cluster M22 with the
VLT/FORS instrument. Spectra were also obtained for a number of red giants in
standard globular clusters to provide a calibration of the observed line
strengths with overall abundance [Fe/H]. For the 41 M22 member stars that lie
within the V-V_HB bounds of the calibration, we find an abundance distribution
that is substantially broader than that expected from the observed errors
alone. We argue that this broad distribution cannot be the result of
differential reddening. Instead we conclude that, as has long been suspected,
M22 is similar to omega Cen in having an intrinsic dispersion in heavy element
abundance. The observed M22 abundance distribution rises sharply to a peak at
[Fe/H] = -1.9 with a broad tail to higher abundances: the highest abundance
star in our sample has [Fe/H] = -1.45 dex. If the unusual properties of omega
Cen have their origin in a scenario in which the cluster is the remnant nucleus
of a disrupted dwarf galaxy, then such a scenario likely applies also to M22.
