| 1. |
- D’Orazi, Valentina, et al.
(författare)
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The GALAH survey : tracing the Milky Way’s formation and evolution through RR Lyrae stars
- 2024
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Ingår i: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - 0035-8711. ; 531:1, s. 137-162
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stellar mergers and accretion events have been crucial in shaping the evolution of the Milky Way (MW). These events have been dynamically identified and chemically characterized using red giants and main-sequence stars. RR Lyrae (RRL) variables can play a crucial role in tracing the early formation of the MW since they are ubiquitous, old (t ≥ 10 Gyr) low-mass stars and accurate distance indicators. We exploited Data Release 3 of the GALAH survey to identify 78 field RRLs suitable for chemical analysis. Using synthetic spectra calculations, we determined atmospheric parameters and abundances of Fe, Mg, Ca, Y, and Ba. Most of our stars exhibit halo-like chemical compositions, with an iron peak around [Fe/H] ≈ −1.40, and enhanced Ca and Mg content. Notably, we discovered a metal-rich tail, with [Fe/H] values ranging from −1 to approximately solar metallicity. This sub-group includes almost 1/4 of the sample, it is characterized by thin disc kinematics and displays sub-solar α-element abundances, marginally consistent with the majority of the MW stars. Surprisingly, they differ distinctly from typical MW disc stars in terms of the s-process elements Y and Ba. We took advantage of similar data available in the literature and built a total sample of 535 field RRLs for which we estimated kinematical and dynamical properties. We found that metal-rich RRLs (1/3 of the sample) likely represent an old component of the MW thin disc. We also detected RRLs with retrograde orbits and provided preliminary associations with the Gaia–Sausage–Enceladus, Helmi, Sequoia, Sagittarius, and Thamnos stellar streams.
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| 2. |
- Jonsell, Karin, 1970-
(författare)
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Chemical Abundance Analysis of Population II Stars : The Summary Includes a Background in General Astronomy
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We are made of stardust in the sense that most atomic nuclei around us have been formed by stars. Stars synthesise new elements and expel them to the interstellar medium, from which later new generations of stars are born. We can map this chemical evolution by analysing the atmospheric contents of old Galactic halo stars. I have done two such investigations. A vigourous debate is going on whether the oxygen-to-iron ratio varies strongly with the general metal-content of halo stars. In my first study, I made an abundance analysis of 43 halo stars, and found no support for such a variation. I have also found that there probably is a cosmic spread in the abundances of oxygen, magnesium, silicon, and calcium relative to iron for halo stars. This may be an indication that the halo was built up by subsystems with differences in the star formation rate. In my second study, I performed a thorough abundance analysis of the star HE0338-3945, which is strangely overabundant in both r- and s-elements. Several other stars have been found with abundance patterns curiously similar to this star, and I define new criteria for the class r+s stars. The abundance similarities among the r+s stars suggest a common formation scenario. However, as the s-elements usually are considered to be produced in binary systems of low mass, and r-elements in supernovae of Type II, this scenario is not obvious. In the article I discuss seven hypotheses, and several of them are dismissed.
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| 3. |
- Nandakumar, Govind, et al.
(författare)
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Composition of Giants 1° North of the Galactic Center : Detailed Abundance Trends for 21 Elements Observed with IGRINS
- 2024
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X. ; 964:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the first high-resolution, detailed abundances of 21 elements for giants in the Galactic bulge/bar within 1° of the Galactic plane, where high extinction has rendered such studies challenging. Our high-signal-to-noise-ratio and high-resolution, near-infrared spectra of seven M giants in the inner bulge, located at (l, b) = (0°, +1°), are observed using the IGRINS spectrograph. We report the first multichemical study of the inner Galactic bulge by investigating, relative to a robust new solar neighborhood sample, the abundance trends of 21 elements, including the relatively difficult to study heavy elements. The elements studied are: F, Mg, Si, S, Ca, Na, Al, K, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Ce, Nd, and Yb. We investigate bulge membership of all seven stars using distances and orbital simulations, and we find that the most metal-poor star may be a halo interloper. Our investigation also shows that the inner bulge as close as 1° north of the Galactic Center displays a similarity to the inner disk sequence, following the high-[α/Fe] envelope of the solar vicinity metal-rich population, though no firm conclusions for a different enrichment history are evident from this sample. We find a small fraction of metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] > −0.5), but most of our stars are mainly of supersolar metallicity. Fluorine is found to be enhanced at high metallicity compared to the solar neighborhood, but confirmation with a larger sample is required. We will apply this approach to explore the populations of the nuclear stellar disk and the nuclear star cluster.
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| 4. |
- Ryde, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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Fluorine in the Solar Neighborhood : The Need for Several Cosmic Sources
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 893:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The cosmic origin of fluorine is still not well constrained. Several nucleosynthetic channels at different phases of stellar evolution have been suggested, but these must be constrained by observations. For this, the fluorine abundance trend with metallicity spanning a wide range is required. Our aim is to determine stellar abundances of fluorine for -1.1 < [Fe H] < +0.4. We determine the abundances from HF lines in infrared K-band spectra ( 2.3 mm) of cool giants, observed with the IGRINS and Phoenix high-resolution spectrographs. We derive accurate stellar parameters for all our observed K giants, which is important as the HF lines are very temperaturesensitive. We find that [F/Fe] is flat as a function of metallicity at [ F/Fe]0, but increases as the metallicity increases. The fluorine slope shows a clear secondary behavior in this metallicity range. We also find that the [F/ Ce] ratio is relatively flat for -0.6 < [Fe H] < 0, and that for two metal-poor ([Fe H] < - 0.8), s-process element-enhanced giants, we do not detect an elevated fluorine abundance. We interpret all of these observational constraints as indications that several major processes are at play for the cosmic budget of fluorine over time: from those in massive stars at low metallicities, through the asymptotic giant branch star contribution at -0.6 < [Fe H] < 0, to processes with increasing yields with metallicity at supersolar metallicities. The origins of the latter, and whether or not Wolf-Rayet stars and/or novae could contribute at supersolar metallicities, is currently not known. To quantify these observational results, theoretical modeling is required. More observations in the metal-poor region are required to clarify the processes there.
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| 5. |
- Sneden, Christopher, et al.
(författare)
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Chemical Compositions of Red Giant Stars from Habitable Zone Planet Finder Spectroscopy
- 2021
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 161:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have used the Habitable Zone Planet Finder (HPF) to gather high-resolution, high signal-to-noise near-infrared spectra of 13 field red horizontal branch (RHB) stars, one open cluster giant, and one very metal-poor halo red giant. The HPF spectra cover the 0.81-1.28 mu m wavelength range of the zyJ bands, partially filling the gap between the optical (0.4-1.0 mu m) and infrared (1.5-2.4 mu m) spectra already available for the program stars. We derive abundances of 17 species from LTE-based computations involving equivalent widths and spectrum syntheses, and estimate abundance corrections for the species that are most affected by departures from LTE in RHB stars. Generally good agreement is found between HPF-based metallicities and abundance ratios and those from the optical and infrared spectral regions. Light element transitions dominate the HPF spectra of these red giants, and HPF data can be used to derive abundances from species with poor or no representation in optical spectra (e.g., C i, P i, S i, K i). Attention is drawn to the HPF abundances in two field solar-metallicity RHB stars of special interest: one with an extreme carbon isotope ratio, and one with a rare, very large lithium content. The latter star is unique in our sample in exhibiting very strong He i 10830 A absorption. The abundances of the open cluster giant concur with those derived from other wavelength regions. Detections of C i and S i in HD 122563 are reported, yielding the lowest metallicity determination of [S/Fe] from more than one multiplet.
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| 6. |
- Sneden, Christopher, et al.
(författare)
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The Active Chromospheres of Lithium-rich Red Giant Stars
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 940:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have gathered near-infrared zyJ-band high-resolution spectra of nearly 300 field red giant stars with known lithium abundances in order to survey their He i λ10830 absorption strengths. This transition is an indicator of chromospheric activity and/or mass loss in red giants. The majority of stars in our sample reside in the red clump or red horizontal branch based on their V − J, MV color–magnitude diagram, and Gaia Teff and log(g) values. Most of our target stars are Li-poor in the sense of having normally low Li abundances, defined here as log ò(Li) < 1.25. Over 90% of these Li-poor stars have weak λ10830 features. However, more than half of the 83 Li-rich stars (log ò(Li) > 1.25) have strong λ10830 absorptions. These large λ10830 lines signal excess chromospheric activity in Li-rich stars; there is almost no indication of significant mass loss. The Li-rich giants may also have a higher binary fraction than Li-poor stars, based on their astrometric data. It appears likely that both residence on the horizontal branch and present or past binary interaction play roles in the significant Li–He connection established in this survey.
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