Probing the formation and evolution mechanisms of our Galaxy and its stellar populations is one of the most important,
but as yet unanswered, issue in modern astrophysics.
The determination of the abundance pattern in stellar aggregates, open clusters and globulars, provides us with a fundamental
tool to disentangle their nature and complexity. By assessing the chemical content for a large number of
species, from the lightest elements (e.g., Li) up to the neutron-capture process elements (e.g., Ba), we can furnish
strong observational constraints to theoretical stellar models and we can investigate a wealth of open issues such as e.g.,
the chemical composition of the solar neighbourhood, the radial metallicity gradient of our Galaxy,
the run of the heavy elements with open cluster's age, or
the complex processes that led to the formation of globular clusters, as revealed from internal variations in their light-element
content.
In this talk I will review the current status of the field, focusing on key species such as lithium, rubidium, and barium, by
enlightening several aspects critical to our understanding of the internal pollution mechanisms.
I will present our results from an extensive high-resolution spectroscopic survey that provides us with the largest database of
this kind available in the literature. General scientific implications of our findings will be discussed.
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