Observational constraints on potassium synthesis during the formation of stars of the Galactic disk

The non-LTE potassium abundances in the atmospheres of 33 Galactic-disk stars are derived and the parameters of the atmospheres of 23 of the stars are determined. Neglecting departures from LTE results in a systematic overestimation of the potassium abundances and an increase in their dispersion, even for differential analyses relative to the Sun. The non-LTE corrections are significant ((?0.2)–(?0.6) dex) and depend on the surface gravities and effective temperatures of the stars. The mean potassium abundance for a sample of ten stars with [Fe/H]～0.0 is in agreement with the solar and meteoritic abundances (log ? _⊙(K)=5.12). As the stellar metallicity increases from [Fe/H]=(?1.0) to (0.2) dex, the [K/Fe] ratio decreases systematically from 0.3 dex to ?0.1 dex. The derived dependence [K/Fe]-[Fe/H] is in agreement with the results of published model calculations of the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. This indicates the dominance of explosive oxygen burning in massive type II supernovae during the synthesis of potassium in the Galactic disk.     

Effects of spot structure of lines of rare earths and non-LTE effects on lithium abundance estimates for two roAp stars

Taking into account blending of the lithium 6108 Å line profile by adjacent rare-earth lines together with their spotted surface structure does not appreciably affect lithium abundance estimates for the atmospheres of HD 83368 and HD 60435 but provides a better fit of the observed and stimulated line profiles. Our computed non-LTE corrections reduce the lithium abundance estimates by 0.1–0.2 dex for both stars. Given the uncertainties in the lithium abundances, it is not possible to be certain whether the lithium abundances in roAp stars, or at least in their spots, exceed the cosmic (primordial) value.     

Abundances of C, N, O, and other elements in the atmospheres of the δ Scuti variables 14 Aur, δ Sct, and HD 127986

Using high-resolution spectra, we have determined the abundances of carbon (logε(C)), nitrogen (logε(N)), oxygen (logε(O)), silicon (logε(Si)), sulphur (logε(S)), and some other elements for three δ Scuti stars. Logε(C) for all three stars and logε(N) for δ Sct and HD 127986 are close to the solar values, while there appears to be a slight (0.15 dex) nitrogen deficiency for 14 Aur. The logε(O) values correspond to a 0.30-dex deficiency for 14 Aur and δ Sct and a 0.20-dex deficiency for HD 127986. The values of logε(Si) for the three stars are close to solar, and the logε(S) values indicate a slight deficiency (0.10 dex) for 14 Aur and HD 127986 and a 0.20-dex excess for δ Sct. Comparison of the elemental abundances for seven δ Scuti stars with those for Am stars shows that the mean deficiencies of C, N, and O are smaller for pulsating δ Scuti stars than for Am stars with similar effective temperatures. The sulphur abundances are virtually the same for both types of stars.     

A study of rare earth elements in the atmospheres of chemically peculiar stars. Pr III and Nd III lines

We determine the abundances of Pr and Nd in the atmospheres of magnetic and non-magnetic chemically peculiar stars from the lines of rare earth elements in the first and second ionization states. The computations for the magnetic stars take into account the influence of the magnetic field on line formation. We studied the influence of errors in the stellar-atmosphere parameters and the atomic parameters of the spectral lines on the accuracy of abundance determinations. Within the derived accuracy, ionization equilibrium is satisfied in the atmospheres of non-pulsating magnetic and non-magnetic stars (so that abundances derived separately from lines of first and second ions agree). For all the pulsating magnetic (roAp) stars studied, the abundances derived from lines of second ions are 1.0 to 1.7 dex higher than those derived from first ions. The violation of ionization equilibrium in the atmospheres of pulsating stars is probably due to, first, considerable enrichment of Pr and Nd in the uppermost atmospheric layers, and second, a higher location for the layer of enhanced elemental abundance in roAp stars than in non-pulsating stars. Two objects from the list of non-pulsating magnetic stars, HD 62140 and HD 115708, exhibit anomalies of their Pr and Nd lines characteristic of roAp stars. The differences in the rare earth anomalies for the pulsating and non-pulsating peculiar stars can be used as a selection criterion for candidate roAp stars.     

Chemical composition of 15 photometric analogues of the Sun

The results of a spectroscopic analysis of 15 stars that are photometric analogues of the Sun are reported. The effective temperatures and surface gravities in the stellar atmospheres are derived from published photometric indices and the HIPPARCOS parallaxes. The abundances of 33 elements ranging from lithium to europium are analyzed based on high-dispersion spectra taken with the new Coudé echelle spectrometer of the Terskol Observatory in the northern Caucasus. The main parameters of most of the stars agree with the data of an [Fe/H] catalog published in 2001. Our study of the chemical compositions of the sample stars indicates that photometric analogues of the Sun can be divided into three groups according to their elemental abundances: six stars have solar chemical composition, four have abundance excesses, and five have some abundance deficiencies. The sample contains two metal-deficient subgiants (HD 133002 and HD 225239). Our results demonstrate that photometric similarity is not a sufficient criterion to consider a star as solar analogue. When several criteria, including chemical composition, are simultaneously taken into account, only four stars from the sample can be considered true solar analogues: HD 10307, HD 34411, HD 146233 (18 Sco), and HD 186427 (16 Cyg B). These results confirm the previously published suggestion that 18 Sco is the most probable twin of the Sun: essentially all the parameters of the two stars coincide within the errors.     

Analysis of the spectral energy distributions of four cool R CrB stars near the brightness maximum

The effective temperatures T _eff and carbon and nitrogen abundances in the atmospheres of the cool R CrB stars ES Aql, SV Sge, Z UMi, and NSV 11154 have been determined by modeling their spectral energy distributions in the optical and near-infrared. The hydrogen-deficient model atmospheres were computed using the SAM12 code in the classical approximation, taking into account sources of opacity characteristic of the atmospheres of R CrB stars. The influence of the hydrogen deficiency on theoretical stellar spectra is analyzed. The resulting effective-temperature estimates for ES Aql, SV Sge, Z UMi, and NSV 11154 are in the range T _eff = 4600–5200 K. The carbon abundances log n(C) in the atmospheres of ES Aql, SV Sge, and Z UMi are 8.9–10.1, corresponding to [C/Fe] values typical of the atmospheres of R CrB stars. The nitrogen abundances are lower than those determined in other studies, and differ considerably from star to star. The mean [N/Fe] value for these three stars is ≈1.5 dex lowthan the mean [N/Fe] for known warm R CrB stars. Abnormally high estimates were obtained for the atmosphere of NSV 11154: log n(C) = 10.8 and log n(N) = 10.0. The approximate log g estimates agree with the conclusion from photometric observations that cool R CrB stars have lower luminosities than hotter R CrB stars.     

Chemical composition of δ Scuti stars: 1. AO CVn, CP Boo, KW Aur

We used high-resolution echelle spectra acquired with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish Telescope to determine the fundamental atmospheric parameters and abundances of 30 chemical elements for three ?? Scuti stars: AOCVn, CP Boo, and KWAur. The chemical compositions we find for these stars are similar to those for Am-star atmospheres, though some anomalies of up to 0.6?C0.7 dex are observed for light and heavy elements. We consider the effect of the adopted stellar parameters (effective temperature, log g, microturbulent velocity) and the amplitude of pulsational variations on the derived elemental abundances.     

Non-LTE effects in Mg I lines for various types of stars

We have performed a detailed statistical-equilibrium analysis based on a 49-level model of the magnesium atom for the atmospheres of stars of various spectral types: T _eff=4500–12000 K, logg=0.0–4.5, and [M/H]=0 to ?3. In the atmospheres of stars with T _eff>5500 K, deviations from LTE for Mg I are due to photoionization by ultraviolet radiation from the 3p level; i.e., neutral magnesium is in a state of “superionization.” When T _eff<5500 K, the populations of the Mg I levels differ from their LTE values due to radiative processes in bound-bound transitions. We analyzed Mg I lines in the solar spectrum in order to empirically refine certain atomic parameters (the van der Waals broadening constant C ₆ and cross sections for photoionization and collisional interactions with hydrogen atoms) and the magnesium abundance in the solar atmosphere. We studied non-LTE effects for five Mg I lines for a wide range of stellar parameters. In the case of dwarfs and subdwarfs, the magnitude of non-LTE corrections to magnesium abundances does not exceed 0.1 dex for the λλ 4571, 4703, 5528, and 5711 Å lines but can be as large as ±0.2 dex for the λλ 3829–3838, 5172, and 5183 Å lines. The non-LTE corrections for giants and supergiants do not exceed 0.15 dex for the λλ 4571 and 5711 Å lines but can reach ±0.20 dex and even more for the λλ 4703, 5528, 3829–3838, 5172, and 5183 Å lines.     

The chemical composition of HR 1512, a peculiar helium-weak star

We have used high-resolution spectra to study the chemical composition of HR 1512, a star with effective temperature T _eff = 15 200 K, atmospheric gravity log g = 3.52, microturbulence parameter V _t = 1.5 km/s, and rotation rate v sin i = 17 km s^?1. We confirm the presence of a helium deficiency (?0.6 dex), indicating that HR 1512 is a helium-weak star. Its considerable phosphorus excess (1.6 dex) testifies that the star belongs to the PGa subtype. We suggest that the He and P abundances increase with height; i.e., that there is stratification of He and P in the star’s atmosphere. Among the CNO elements, nitrogen demonstrates an underabundance of ?0.4 dex, while the abundances of carbon and oxygen are solar. Deficits of about ?0.5 or ?0.6 dex were also found for Mg, Si, and S. A neon excess of 0.4 dex was derived from our non-LTE analysis of NeI lines. The largest excess among the iron-peak elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni) is 0.6 dex, for manganese; the abundances of chromium and nickel display excesses of 0.5 and 0.3 dex, respectively, while the iron abundance is almost normal. The chemical anomalies of HR 1512 generally agree with those for mercury-manganese stars. This supports the hypothesis that PGa stars represent an extension of HgMn stars to higher temperatures.     

Non-LTE analysis of the formation of KI lines in the spectra of A-K stars

The non-LTE formation of KI lines in the spectra of A-K stars is analyzed. The computations are based on a 36-level model of the neutral potassium atom for blanketed LTE Kurucz model atmospheres with T _eff=4000–10000 K, logg=0.0–4.5, and [M/H]=(0.0)–(?2.0). The KI atoms in the atmospheres of these stars are in states of moderate and strong “over-recombination.” A number of atomic parameters are refined using the profiles and equivalent widths of five lines in the solar spectrum. The classical van der Waals damping constants must be increased by factors of 2–60 to fit the observed profiles. The non-LTE solar potassium abundance—logε (K)=5.14—corresponds to the meteoritic abundance. Non-LTE corrections to the potassium abundance are important and equal to ?0.4...?0.7 dex for the λ7699 Å line and ?0.15...?0.3 dex for the λλ12522, 12432, and 11769 Å lines.     

Analysis of elemental abundances in the atmospheres of three Hyades red giants

Model atmospheres are fitted to spectroscopic data in order to analyze the elemental abundances in the atmospheres of three red giants in the Hyades cluster. The three stars have almost identical chemical compositions, with iron-group elements slightly overabundant compared to the solar values—a pattern that is typical of Hyades dwarfs. The overabundances of the light elements Na, Al, and Si are virtually equal to those observed for field giants. No enrichment in rare-earth elements relative to iron was found, in sharp contrast to field giants. It is concluded that these discrepancies are due to the age difference between the two groups of stars, which have resulted in different degrees of convective overshooting.     

Abundances of carbon,nitrogen, oxygen,and other elements in the atmospheres of the giants 15 ori and 22 <Emphasis Type="Italic">ɛ</Emphasis> sex

We have used high-resolution spectra to study the giants 15 Ori and 22 ? Sex. The effective temperature T _eff = 7060 K, gravity log g = 3.16, and microturbulence velocity ξ _t = 3.5 km/s were determined for 15 Ori, with T _eff = 7350 K and log g = 3.90 for 22 ? Sex (the microturbulence velocity for 22 ? Sex was assumed to be ξ _t = 2.7 km/s). We estimated the abundances of C, N, O, Na, Si, Ca, Fe, and Ba (N and Ba, for 15 Ori only). The abundances of carbon, iron, and oxygen in 22 ? Sex are higher than the solar values by +0.31 dex, +0.33 dex, and +0.18 dex, respectively, while the calcium abundance is ?0.19 dex below the solar level. For 15 Ori, we find a slight carbon excess (+0.19 dex), a slight nitrogen deficiency (?0.13 dex), and a considerable deficiency of silicon (?0.42 dex). The abundances of the remaining elements in both stars are near-solar. We find no substantial differences between the abundances derived for 15 Ori and 22 ? Sex and the results of earlier studies of giants by both ourselves and Erspamer and North. A comparison of the atmospheric elemental abundances of giants and δ Scuti stars indicates that the abundances of some lighter elements (oxygen, sodium, silicon, and possibly nitrogen) are somewhat lower for δ Scuti stars than for A-F giants. We determined the masses, radii, luminosities, and ages for 15 Ori and 22 ? Sex.     

The effects of deviations from LTE in sulphur lines for late-type stars

We analyze the formation of lines of neutral sulfur in the spectra of F-K stars taking into account the effects of deviations from local thermodynamical equilibrium (LTE). Our calculations were carried out for Kurucz model atmospheres with T _eff = 5000–6500 K, log g = 2?4 and [Fe/H] = ?4?0, using a 65-level model of the SI atom. Deviations from LTE affect lines of different multiplets of the sulfur atom differently. Non-LTE corrections, which are relatively small (to ?0.10 dex) for the 6543–6557 Å lines, increase to ?0.26 dex for the 8694 Å line, and reach ?1.1 dex for the 9212–9237 Å IR triplet. The model of the atom was verified by modeling the sulfur lines of the studied multiplets in the spectra of the Sun, two main sequence stars, and two supergiants. Good consistency with the observed line profiles was obtained. Failure to take into account strong non-LTE-effects may explain the large sulfur excesses detected in stars with very low metal abundances.     

Revised magnesium abundances in galactic halo and disk stars

A differential analysis of the magnesium abundances in 61 F-K dwarfs and subgiants with metallicities ?2.6<[Fe/H]<+0.2 is performed based on published observational data. Fundamental parameters for 36 stars are determined: T _eff from V-K and V-R; logg from HIPPARCOS parallaxes, and [Fe/H] and ξ_t from Fe II lines. The computations allow for non-LTE effects in the formation of the Mg I lines. For most of the stars, the standard errors in the Mg abundances do not exceed 0.07 dex. The metallicity dependence of [Mg/Fe] is analyzed. Magnesium shows a constant overabundance relative to Fe of 0.46±0.06 dex for metallicities ?2.6<[Fe/H] $\overline {[Mg/Fe]} = + 0.22 dex$ ) compared to the [Mg/Fe] values for other stars with similar [Fe/H].     

A comparative analysis of chemical abundances in the atmospheres of red giants of different age groups

We analyze previously published chemical abundances in the atmospheres of red giants. Excess abundances are observed not only for Na, but also for Al and Si, with the overabundances increasing with the stars’ luminosity. The observed anomalies provide evidence that, in addition to the CNO hydrogen-burning cycle, the Mg-Al and Ne-Na cycles operate in the interiors of main-sequence stars; their products are brought to the stellar atmospheres by convection after the transition to the red-giant phase. The abundance anomalies for s-process elements, also observed in the atmospheres of field stars, testify to the presence of a substantial number of neutrons. The s-process abundance anomalies are absent from giants of the young Hyades cluster.     

Abundances of carbon,nitrogen, oxygen,and other elements in the atmosphere of the giant 30 LMi

We have studied the star 30 LMi using high-dispersion CCD spectra and photographic observations. We estimate the star's effective temperature T_eff=7210 K, gravity log g=3.34, and microturbulence velocity ξ_t=5.8 km/s. The carbon abundance, log ?(C)=8.57, is close to the solar value. Nitrogen (log ?(N)=7.81), oxygen (log ?(O)=8.76), and sulfur (log ?(S)=7.20) are slightly underabundant compared to the Sun, by ?0.16 dex, ?0.11 dex, and ?0.13 dex, respectively. A relatively large underabundance of ?0.27 dex was found for titanium (log ?(Ti)=4.75), whereas zinc shows an over-abundance by +0.21 dex (log ?(Zn)=4.81). Sodium (log ?(Na)=6.26), silicon (log ?(Si)=7.57), calcium (log ?(Ca)=6.38), chromium (log ?(Cr)=5.62), iron (log ?(Fe)=7.51), nickel (log ?(Ni)=6.34), and yttrium (log ?(Y)=2.34) exhibited abundances close to the solar values. We find no chemical anomalies characteristic of Am stars or δ Scuti stars in the spectrum of 30 LMi.     

Red giants in the vicinity of open clusters. Field stars

We present a comparative analysis of the atmospheric abundances of red giants in the vicinity of open clusters. The atmospheric parameters, atmospheric abundances, masses, ages, Galactic velocities, and elements of the Galactic orbits are derived for all the studied stars. We have discovered high metal abundances (close to 0.3dex) for five stars, which we classify as super-metal-rich stars. Several stars have lower [Na/Fe] than normal red giants with similar atmospheric parameters. The kinematic characteristics of these stars are somewhat different from those for objects in the Galactic thin disk. We suggest that the observed effect can be explained by inhomogeneity of the chemical composition of gas-dust clouds, which could be due to different rates of SNe II supernovae in different regions of the Galaxy.     

Abundances of carbon,nitrogen, oxygen,and other elements in the atmospheres of the giants 25 Mon and HR 7389

An analysis of high-resolution CCD spectra of the giant 25 Mon, which shows signs of metallicity, and the normal giant HR 7389 is presented. The derived effective temperatures, gravitational accelerations, and microturbulence velocities are T_eff = 6700 K, log g = 3.24, and ξ _t = 3.1 km/s for 25 Mon and T_eff = 6630 K, log g = 3.71, and ξ _t = 2.6 km/s for HR 7389. The abundances (log ε) of nine elements are determined: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sodium, silicon, calcium, iron, nickel, and barium. The derived excess carbon abundances are 0.23 dex for 25 Mon and 0.16 dex for HR 7389. 25 Mon displays a modest (0.08 dex) oxygen excess, with the oxygen excess for HR 7389 being somewhat higher (0.15 dex). The nitrogen abundance is probably no lower than the solar value for both stars. The abundances of iron, sodium, calcium (for HR 7389), barium, and nickel exceed the solar values by 0.22–0.40 dex for both stars. The highest excess (0.62 dex) is exhibited by the calcium abundance for 25 Mon. Silicon displays a nearly solar abundance in both stars—small deficits of ?0.03 dex and ?0.07 dex for 25 Mon and HR 7389, respectively. No fundamental differences in the elemental abundances were found in the atmospheres of 25 Mon and HR 7389. Based on their T_eff and log g values, as well as theoretical calculations, A. Claret estimated the masses, radii, luminosities, and ages of 25 Mon (M/M_⊙ = 2.45, log(R/R_⊙) = 0.79, log(L/L_⊙) = 1.85, t = 5.3 × 10⁸ yr) and HR 7389 (M/M_⊙ = 2.36, log(R/R_⊙) = 0.50, log(L/L_⊙) = 1.24, t = 4.6 × 10⁸ yr), and also of the stars 20 Peg (M/M_⊙ = 2.36, log(R/R_⊙) = 0.73, log(L/L_⊙) = 1.79, t = 4.9 × 10⁸ yr) and 30 LMi (M/M_⊙ = 2.47, log(R/R_⊙) = 0.73, log(L/L_⊙) = 1.88, t = 4.8 × 10⁸ yr) studied by the author earlier.     

Chemical abundance analysis for the atmospheres of red giants in the Hercules moving group

The results of a comparative analysis of the kinematics, ages, and elemental abundances for 17 red giants in the Hercules moving group are presented. Model atmospheres are used to determine the parameters of the stellar atmospheres and the abundances of about 20 elements. The masses and ages of the stars are estimated, and the components of their Galactic velocities and the elements of their Galactic orbits are calculated. Our analysis demonstrates that the Hercules stream is a heterogeneous group of objects from the thin and thick disks.     

The chemical composition of stars in the globular clusters M 10, M 12, and M 71

The abundances of 19 chemical elements in the atmospheres of five stars belonging to three globular clusters have been determined by applying the model-atmospheremethod to 430.0–790.0 nm spectra obtained with the échelle spectrometer of the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. The abundances of silicon, calcium, iron-peak elements, copper, zinc, and neutron-capture elements follow the abundance patterns for halo stars. The abundance of sodium in M 10 giants provides evidence that different mixing mechanisms operate in halo and cluster stars or that light elements are enriched in different ways in the pre-stellar matter from which some globular clusters and halo stars were formed.