1,082 research outputs found
Fluorine in the solar neighborhood - is it all produced in AGB-stars?
The origin of 'cosmic' fluorine is uncertain, but there are three proposed
production sites/mechanisms: AGB stars, nucleosynthesis in Type II
supernovae, and/or the winds of Wolf-Rayet stars. The relative importance of
these production sites has not been established even for the solar
neighborhood, leading to uncertainties in stellar evolution models of these
stars as well as uncertainties in the chemical evolution models of stellar
populations.
We determine the fluorine and oxygen abundances in seven bright, nearby
giants with well-determined stellar parameters. We use the 2.3 m
vibrational-rotational HF line and explore a pure rotational HF line at 12.2
m. The latter has never been used before for an abundance analysis. To be
able to do this we have calculated a line list for pure rotational HF lines. We
find that the abundances derived from the two diagnostics agree.
Our derived abundances are well reproduced by chemical evolution models only
including fluorine production in AGB-stars and therefore we draw the conclusion
that this might be the main production site of fluorine in the solar
neighborhood. Furthermore, we highlight the advantages of using the 12 m
HF lines to determine the possible contribution of the -process to the
fluorine budget at low metallicities where the difference between models
including and excluding this process is dramatic
4mu spectra of AGB stars I: Observations
We present times series of high resolution spectra of AGB variables at 4mu.
Line profiles from the major contributors to the spectra of oxygen rich stars
at 4mu, OH, HO, HCl and SiO, are examined. The velocity as well as shape
variations of these profiles with time are discussed. The line profiles
investigated frequently have emission and multiple absorption components. The
changes with time of the 4mu region lines do not always follow the cyclic
variability seen in NIR spectra and in the photometric light curve. We
interpret and discuss the results qualitatively considering comparing the
spectral variability with that of the well behaved 1.6mu region and of
dynamical model atmospheres. Miras and semiregular variables are compared. The
origins of non-periodic behavior are discussed, including the role of spatial
inhomogeneities in the stellar atmosphere.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Properties of galactic B[e] supergiants. IV. Hen3-298 and Hen3-303
We present the results of optical and near-IR spectroscopic and near-IR
photometric observations of the emission-line stars Hen3-298 and Hen3-303.
Strong emission in the H-alpha line is found in both objects. The presence of
Fe II and [O I] emission lines in the spectrum of Hen3-298 indicates that it is
a B[e] star. The double-peaked CO line profiles, found in the infrared spectrum
of Hen3-298, along with the optical line profiles suggest that the star is
surrounded by a rotating circumstellar disk. Both objects also show infrared
excesses, similar to those of B[e] stars. The radial velocities of the
absorption and emission lines as well as a high reddening level suggest that
the objects are located in the Norma spiral arm at a distance of 3-4.5 kpc. We
estimated a luminosity of log (L/L_sun) ~ 5.1 and a spectral type of no earlier
than B3 for Hen3-298. Hen3-303 seems to be a less luminous B-type object (log
(L/L_sun) ~ 4.3), located in the same spiral arm.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysic
Abundances in bulge stars from high-resolution, near-IR spectra I. The CNO elements observed during the science verification of CRIRES at VLT
The formation and evolution of the Milky Way bulge is not yet well understood
and its classification is ambiguous. Constraints can, however, be obtained by
studying the abundances of key elements in bulge stars. The aim of this study
is to determine the chemical evolution of CNO, and a few other elements in
stars in the Galactic bulge, and to discuss the sensitivities of the derived
abundances from molecular lines. High-resolution, near-IR spectra in the H band
were recorded using VLT/CRIRES. Due to the high and variable visual extinction
in the line-of-sight towards the bulge, an analysis in the near-IR is
preferred. The CNO abundances can all be determined simultaneously from the
numerous molecular lines in the wavelength range observed. The three giant
stars in Baade's window presented here are the first bulge stars observed with
CRIRES. We have especially determined the CNO abundances, with uncertainties of
less than 0.20 dex, from CO, CN, and OH lines. Since the systematic
uncertainties in the derived CNO abundances due to uncertainties in the stellar
fundamental parameters, notably Teff, are significant, a detailed discussion of
the sensitivities of the derived abundances is included. We find good agreement
between near-IR and optically determined O, Ti, Fe, and Si abundances. Two of
our stars show a solar [C+N/Fe], suggesting that these giants have experienced
the first dredge-up and that the oxygen abundance should reflect the original
abundance of the giants. The two giants fit into the picture, in which there is
no significant difference between the O abundance in bulge and thick-disk
stars. Our determination of the S abundances is the first for bulge stars. The
high [S/Fe] values for all the stars indicate a high star-formation rate in an
early phase of the bulge evolution.Comment: Accepted by A&
Water vapor on supergiants. The 12 micron TEXES spectra of mu Cephei
Several recent papers have argued for warm, semi-detached, molecular layers
surrounding red giant and supergiant stars, a concept known as a MOLsphere.
Spectroscopic and interferometric analyses have often corroborated this general
picture. Here, we present high-resolution spectroscopic data of pure rotational
lines of water vapor at 12 microns for the supergiant mu Cephei. This star has
often been used to test the concept of molecular layers around supergiants.
Given the prediction of an isothermal, optically thick water-vapor layer in
Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium around the star (MOLsphere), we expected the 12
micron lines to be in emission or at least in absorption but filled in by
emission from the molecular layer around the star. Our data, however, show the
contrary; we find definite absorption. Thus, our data do not easily fit into
the suggested isothermal MOLsphere scenario. The 12 micron lines, therefore,
put new, strong constraints on the MOLsphere concept and on the nature of water
seen in signatures across the spectra of early M supergiants. We also find that
the absorption is even stronger than that calculated from a standard,
spherically symmetric model photosphere without any surrounding layers. A cool
model photosphere, representing cool outer layers is, however, able to
reproduce the lines, but this model does not account for water vapor emission
at 6 microns. Thus, a unified model for water vapor on mu Cephei appears to be
lacking. It does seem necessary to model the underlying photospheres of these
supergiants in their whole complexity. The strong water vapor lines clearly
reveal inadequacies of classical model atmospheres.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
- …