We have performed a detailed spectral analysis of the inner halo Galactic globular cluster ( GC ) NGC 6723 using high resolution ( R \approx 22000–48000 ) spectra for for eleven red giant branch stars collected with MIKE ( Magellan ) and FEROS ( MPG/ESO ) .
This globular is located at the minimum of the bimodal metallicity distribution of GCs suggesting that it might be an excellent transitional system between metal-intermediate and metal-rich GCs .
In spite of its metal-intermediate status , it is characterized by an extended horizontal branch and by a large number of RR Lyrae stars .
We investigated abundances of a variety of species including light , \alpha - , Fe-peak , and neutron capture elements .
We found a mean metallicity [ Fe / H ] = -0.93 \pm 0.05 dex , and a typical \alpha -enrichment ( [ \alpha / Fe ] \approx 0.39 ) that follows the trend of metal-poor and metal-intermediate GCs .
The same outcome applies for light metals ( Na , Al ) , Fe-peak ( V , Cr , Mn , Fe , Co , Ni , Cu ) , s / r -process elements ( Ba , Eu ) and for the classical anti-correlation : Na-O and Mg-Al .
The current findings further support the evidence that the chemical enrichment of NGC 6723 is in more line with metal-intermediate GCs and their lower metallicity counterparts , and it does not bring forward the prodrome of the metal-rich regime .