Context. Galactic globular clusters (GC) are known to have multiple stellar populations and be characterised by similar chemical features, e.g. O−Na anti-correlation. While second-population stars, ...identified by their Na overabundance, have been found from the main sequence turn-off up to the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) in various Galactic GCs, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars have rarely been targeted. The recent finding that NGC 6752 lacks an Na-rich AGB star has thus triggered new studies on AGB stars in GCs, since this result questions our basic understanding of GC formation and stellar evolution theory. Aims. We aim to compare the Na abundance distributions of AGB and RGB stars in Galactic GCs and investigate whether the presence of Na-rich stars on the AGB is metallicity-dependent. Methods. With high-resolution spectra obtained with the multi-object high-resolution spectrograph FLAMES on ESO/VLT, we derived accurate Na abundances for 31 AGB and 40 RGB stars in the Galactic GC NGC 2808. Results. We find that NGC 2808 has a mean metallicity of −1.11 ± 0.08 dex, in good agreement with earlier analyses. Comparable Na abundance dispersions are derived for our AGB and RGB samples, with the AGB stars being slightly more concentrated than the RGB stars. The ratios of Na-poor first-population to Na-rich second-population stars are 45:55 in the AGB sample and 48:52 in the RGB sample. Conclusions. NGC 2808 has Na-rich second-population AGB stars, which turn out to be even more numerous − in relative terms − than their Na-poor AGB counterparts and the Na-rich stars on the RGB. Our findings are well reproduced by the fast rotating massive stars scenario and they do not contradict the recent results that there is not an Na-rich AGB star in NGC 6752. NGC 2808 thus joins the larger group of Galactic GCs for which Na-rich second-population stars on the AGB have recently been found.
Context. Binary stellar systems form a large fraction of the Galaxy’s stars. They are useful as laboratories for studying the physical processes taking place within stars, and must be correctly taken ...into account when observations of stars are used to study the structure and evolution of the Galaxy. The advent of large-scale spectroscopic and photometric surveys allows us to obtain large samples of binaries that permit characterising their populations. Aims. We aim to obtain a large sample of double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s) by analysis of spectra from the GALAH survey in combination with photometric and astrometric data. A combined analysis will provide stellar parameters of thousands of binary stars that can be combined to form statistical observables of a given population. We aim to produce a catalogue of well-characterised systems, which can in turn be compared to models of populations of binary stars, or to follow-up individual systems of interest. Methods. We obtained a list of candidate SB2 systems from a t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding (t-SNE) classification and a cross-correlation analysis of GALAH spectra. To compute parameters of the primary and secondary star, we used a Bayesian approach that includes a parallax prior from Gaia DR2, spectra from GALAH, and apparent magnitudes from APASS, Gaia DR2, 2MASS, and WISE. We used a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach to sample the posterior distributions of the following model parameters for the two stars: Teff1,2, logg1,2, Fe/H, Vr1,2, vmic1,2, vbroad1,2, R1,2, and E(B−V). Results. We present results for 12 760 binary stars detected as SB2s. We construct the statistical observables T1∕T2, ΔVr, and R1∕R2, which demonstrate that our sample mostly consists of dwarfs, with a significant fraction of evolved stars and several dozen members of the giant branch. The majority of these binary stars is concentrated at the lower boundary of the ΔVr distribution, and the R1∕R2 ratio is mostly close to unity. The derived metallicity of our binary stars is statistically lower than that of single dwarf stars from the same magnitude-limited sample. Conclusions. Our sample of binary stars represents a large population of well-characterised double-lined spectroscopic binaries that are appropriate for statistical studies of the binary populations. The derived stellar properties and their distributions show trends that are expected for a population of close binary stars (a < 10 AU) detected through double lines in their spectra. Our detection technique allows us to probe binary systems with mass ratios 0.5 ≤q ≤ 1.
The Belgian Repository of fundamental Atomic data and Stellar Spectra (BRASS) aims to provide one of the largest systematic and homogeneous quality assessment to date of literature atomic data ...required for stellar spectroscopy. By comparing state-of-the-art synthetic spectrum calculations with extremely high-quality observed benchmark spectra, we have critically evaluated fundamental atomic data, such as line wavelengths and oscillator strengths, for thousands of astrophysically-relevant transitions found in the literature and across several major atomic data repositories. These proceedings provide a short overview of the BRASS project to date, highlighting our recent efforts to investigate and quality-assess the atomic literature data pertaining to over a thousand atomic transitions present in FGK-type stellar spectra. BRASS provides all quality assessed data, theoretical spectra, and observed spectra in a new interactive database under development at brass.sdf.org.
Context
. Barium stars are
s
-process enriched giants. They owe their chemical peculiarities to a past mass transfer phase. During this phase they were polluted by their binary companion, which at ...the time was an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, but is now an extinct white dwarf. Barium stars are thus ideal targets for understanding and constraining the
s
-process in low- and intermediate-mass AGB stars.
Aims
. We derive the abundances of a large number of heavy elements in order to shed light on the conditions of operation of the neutron source responsible for the production of
s
-elements in the former companions of the barium stars.
Methods
. Adopting a recently used methodology, we analyse a sample of eighteen highly enriched barium stars observed with the high-resolution HERMES spectrograph mounted on the
Mercator
telescope (La Palma). We determine the stellar parameters and abundances using MARCS model atmospheres. In particular, we derive the Nb–Zr ratio which was previously shown to be a sensitive thermometer for the
s
-process nucleosynthesis. Indeed, in barium stars,
93
Zr has fully decayed into mono-isotopic
93
Nb, so Nb/Zr is a measure of the temperature-sensitive
93
Zr/Zr isotopic ratio.
Results
.
HD 28159
, previously classified as K5III and initially selected to serve as a reference cool K star for our abundance analysis, turns out to be enriched in
s
-process elements, and as such is a new barium star. Four stars are characterised by high nitrogen abundances, and among those three have high Nb/Zr and hs/ls ratios. The derived Zr and Nb abundances provide more accurate constraints on the
s
-process neutron source, identified to be
13
C(
α
, n)
16
O for barium stars. The comparison with stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis models shows that the investigated barium stars were polluted by a low-mass (
M
∼ 2 − 3
M
⊙
) AGB star.
HD 100503
is potentially identified as a high metallicity analogue of carbon-enhanced metal-poor star enriched in both
r
- and
s
-process elements (CEMP-rs).
Aims.
We aim to constrain the mixing processes in low-mass stars by investigating the behaviour of the Li surface abundance after the main sequence. We take advantage of the data from the sixth ...internal data release of
Gaia
-ESO,
IDR
6, and from the
Gaia
Early Data Release 3,
EDR
3s.
Methods.
We selected a sample of main-sequence, sub-giant, and giant stars in which the Li abundance is measured by the
Gaia
-ESO survey. These stars belong to 57 open clusters with ages from 130 Myr to about 7 Gyr and to Milky Way fields, covering a range in Fe/H between ∼ − 1.0 and ∼ + 0.5 dex, with few stars between ∼ − 1.0 and ∼ − 2.5 dex. We studied the behaviour of the Li abundances as a function of stellar parameters. We inferred the masses of giant stars in clusters from the main-sequence turn-off masses, and for field stars through comparison with stellar evolution models using a maximum likelihood technique. We compared the observed Li behaviour in field giant stars and in giant stars belonging to individual clusters with the predictions of a set of classical models and of models with mixing induced by rotation and thermohaline instability.
Results.
The comparison with stellar evolution models confirms that classical models cannot reproduce the observed lithium abundances in the metallicity and mass regimes covered by the data. The models that include the effects of both rotation-induced mixing and thermohaline instability account for the Li abundance trends observed in our sample in all metallicity and mass ranges. The differences between the results of the classical models and of the rotation models largely differ (up to 2 dex), making lithium the best element with which to constrain stellar mixing processes in low-mass stars. We discuss the nature of a sample of Li-rich stars.
Conclusions.
We demonstrate that the evolution of the surface abundance of Li in giant stars is a powerful tool for constraining theoretical stellar evolution models, allowing us to distinguish the effect of different mixing processes. For stars with well-determined masses, we find a better agreement of observed surface abundances and models with rotation-induced and thermohaline mixing. Rotation effects dominate during the main sequence and the first phases of the post-main-sequence evolution, and the thermohaline induced mixing after the bump in the luminosity function.
When binaries keep track of recent nucleosynthesis Karinkuzhi, D.; Van Eck, S.; Jorissen, A. ...
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union,
08/2018, Letnik:
14, Številka:
S343
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract
We determine Zr and Nb elemental abundances in barium stars to probe the operation temperature of the s-process that occurred in the companion asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Along with ...Zr and Nb, we derive the abundances of a large number of heavy elements. They provide constraints on the s-process operation temperature and therefore on the s-process neutron source. The results are then compared with stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis models. We compare the nucleosynthetic profile of the present sample stars with those of CEMP-s, CEMP-rs and CEMP-r stars. One barium star of our sample is potentially identified as the highest-metallicity CEMP-rs star yet discovered.
Aims.
We investigate the Na abundance distribution of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in Galactic globular clusters (GCs) and its possible dependence on GC global properties, especially age and ...metallicity.
Methods.
We analyze high-resolution spectra of a large sample of AGB and red giant branch (RGB) stars in the Galactic GCs NGC 104, NGC 6121, and NGC 6809 obtained with FLAMES/GIRAFFE at ESO/VLT, and determine their Na abundances. This is the first time that the AGB stars in NGC 6809 are targeted. Moreover, to investigate the dependence of AGB Na abundance dispersion on GC parameters, we compare the AGB Na/H distributions of a total of nine GCs, with five determined by ourselves with homogeneous method and four from literature, covering a wide range of GC parameters.
Results.
NGC 104 and NGC 6809 have comparable AGB and RGB Na abundance distributions revealed by the K−S test, while NGC 6121 shows a lack of very Na-rich AGB stars. By analyzing all nine GCs, we find that the Na abundances and multiple populations of AGB stars form complex picture. In some GCs, AGB stars have similar Na abundances and/or second-population fractions as their RGB counterparts, while some GCs do not have Na-rich second-population AGB stars, and various cases exist between the two extremes. In addition, the fitted relations between fractions of the AGB second population and GC global parameters show that the AGB second-population fraction slightly anticorrelates with GC central concentration, while no robust dependency can be confirmed with other GC parameters.
Conclusions.
Current data roughly support the prediction of the fast-rotating massive star (FRMS) scenario. However, considering the weak observational and theoretical trends where scatter and exceptions exist, the fraction of second-population AGB stars can be affected by more than one or two factors, and may even be a result of stochasticity.
Context. In the era of large high-resolution spectroscopic surveys such as Gaia-ESO and APOGEE, high-quality spectra can contribute to our understanding of the Galactic chemical evolution by ...providing abundances of elements that belong to the different nucleosynthesis channels, and also by providing constraints to one of the most elusive astrophysical quantities: stellar age. Aims. Some abundance ratios, such as C/N, have been proven to be excellent indicators of stellar ages. We aim at providing an empirical relationship between stellar ages and C/N using open star clusters, observed by the Gaia-ESO and APOGEE surveys, as calibrators. Methods. We used stellar parameters and abundances from the Gaia-ESO Survey and APOGEE Survey of the Galactic field and open cluster stars. Ages of star clusters were retrieved from the literature sources and validated using a common set of isochrones. We used the same isochrones to determine for each age and metallicity the surface gravity at which the first dredge-up and red giant branch bump occur. We studied the effect of extra-mixing processes in our sample of giant stars, and we derived the mean C/N in evolved stars, including only stars without evidence of extra mixing. By combining the Gaia-ESO and APOGEE samples of open clusters, we derived a linear relationship between C/N and (logarithmic) cluster ages. Results. We apply our relationship to selected giant field stars in the Gaia-ESO and APOGEE surveys. We find an age separation between thin- and thick-disc stars and age trends within their populations, with an increasing age towards lower metallicity populations. Conclusions. With this empirical relationship, we are able to provide an age estimate for giant stars in which C and N abundances are measured. For giant stars, the isochrone fitting method is indeed less sensitive than for dwarf stars at the turn-off. Our method can therefore be considered as an additional tool to give an independent estimate of the age of giant stars. The uncertainties in their ages is similar to those obtained using isochrone fitting for dwarf stars.
Context.
Open clusters are recognised as excellent tracers of Galactic thin-disc properties. At variance with intermediate-age and old open clusters, for which a significant number of studies is now ...available, clusters younger than ≲150 Myr have been mostly overlooked in terms of their chemical composition until recently (with few exceptions). On the other hand, previous investigations seem to indicate an anomalous behaviour of young clusters, which includes (but is not limited to) slightly sub-solar iron (Fe) abundances and extreme, unexpectedly high barium (Ba) enhancements.
Aims.
In a series of papers, we plan to expand our understanding of this topic and investigate whether these chemical peculiarities are instead related to abundance analysis techniques.
Methods.
We present a new determination of the atmospheric parameters for 23 dwarf stars observed by the
Gaia
-ESO survey in five young open clusters (
τ
< 150 Myr) and one star-forming region (NGC 2264). We exploit a new method based on titanium (Ti) lines to derive the spectroscopic surface gravity, and most importantly, the microturbulence parameter. A combination of Ti and Fe lines is used to obtain effective temperatures. We also infer the abundances of Fe
I
, Fe
II
, Ti
I
, Ti
II
, Na
I
, Mg
I
, Al
I
, Si
I
, Ca
I
, Cr
I
, and Ni
I
.
Results.
Our findings are in fair agreement with
Gaia
-ESO iDR5 results for effective temperatures and surface gravities, but suggest that for very young stars, the microturbulence parameter is over-estimated when Fe lines are employed. This affects the derived chemical composition and causes the metal content of very young clusters to be under-estimated.
Conclusions.
Our clusters display a metallicity Fe/H between +0.04 ± 0.01 and +0.12 ± 0.02; they are not more metal poor than the Sun. Although based on a relatively small sample size, our explorative study suggests that we may not need to call for ad hoc explanations to reconcile the chemical composition of young open clusters with Galactic chemical evolution models.