The Hamburg/ESO R-process Enhanced Star survey (HERES) X. HE 2252-4225, one more r-process enhanced and actinide-boost halo star

We report on a detailed abundance analysis of the r-process enhanced giant star, HE 2252-4225 ([Fe/H] = -2.63, [r/Fe] = 0.80). Determination of stellar parameters and element abundances was based on analysis of high-quality VLT/UVES spectra. The surface gravity was calculated from the NLTE ionisation balance between Fe I and Fe II. Accurate abundances were determined for a total of 38 elements, including 22 neutron-capture elements beyond Sr and up to Th. This object is deficient in carbon, as expected for a giant star with Teff < 4800 K. The stellar Na-Zn abundances are well fitted by the yields of a single supernova of 14.4 Msun. For the neutron-capture elements in the Sr-Ru, Ba-Yb, and Os-Ir regions, the abundance pattern of HE 2252-4225 is in excellent agreement with the average abundance pattern of the strongly r-process enhanced stars CS 22892-052, CS 31082-001, HE 1219-0312, and HE 1523-091. This suggests a common origin of the first, second, and third r-process peak elements in HE 2252-4225 in the classical r-process. We tested the solar r-process pattern based on the most recent s-process calculations of Bisterzo et al. (2014) and found that elements in the range from Ba to Ir match it very well. No firm conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between the fisrt neutron-capture peak elements, Sr to Ru, in HE 2252-4225 and the solar r-process, due to the uncertainty in the solar r-process. The investigated star has an anomalously high Th/Eu abundance ratio, so that radioactive age dating results in a stellar age of tau = 1.5+-1.5 Gyr that is not expected for a very metal-poor halo star.Comment: 20 pages, 6 tables, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Influence of departures from LTE on determinations of the scandium abundances in A-B type stars

We developed a comprehensive model atom of Sc II-Sc III. Abundances of scandium for a sample of eight unevolved A9-B3 type stars with well-determined atmospheric parameters were determined based on the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) line formation for Sc II-Sc III and high-resolution observed spectra. For the Sc II lines, the abundance differences between NLTE and LTE grow rapidly with increasing effective temperature (Teff), from slightly negative at Teff = 7250 K to positive ones of up to 0.6 dex at Teff = 10400 K. For Sc III in $\iota$ Her, NLTE reduces the line-to-line scatter substantially compared to the LTE case. The NLTE abundances of Sc in our five superficially normal stars are consistent within the error bars with the solar system Sc abundance, while the LTE abundances of the late B-type stars are greatly subsolar. NLTE reduces, but does not remove a deficiency of Sc in the Am stars HD 72660 and Sirius. Based on our own and the literature data, the Ca/Sc abundance ratios of the sample of 16 Am stars were found to be close together, with [Ca/Sc] = 0.6-0.7. We propose the Ca/Sc abundance ratio, but not abundances of individual Ca and Sc elements to be used for classifying a star as Am and for testing the diffusion models. We provide the NLTE abundance corrections for ten lines of Sc II in a grid of model atmospheres appropriate for A to late B-type stars.Comment: 11 pages, 6 Tables, 8 Figures; resubmitted to MNRAS on November 2 of 2023 after minor revisio

Influence of inelastic collisions with hydrogen atoms on the non-LTE modelling of Ca I and Ca II lines in late-type stars

We perform the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) calculations for Ca I-II with the updated model atom that includes new quantum-mechanical rate coefficients for Ca I + H I collisions from two recent studies, that is, by Barklem and by Mitrushchenkov, Guitou, Belyaev, Yakovleva, Spielfiedel, and Feautrier, and investigate the accuracy of calcium abundance determinations using the Sun, Procyon, and five metal-poor (MP) stars with well-determined stellar parameters. We show that both collisional recipes lead to very similar NLTE results. When using the subordinate lines of Ca I and the high-excitation lines of Ca II, NLTE provides the smaller line-to-line scatter compared with the LTE case for each star. For Procyon, NLTE removes a steep trend with line strength among strong Ca I lines seen in LTE and leads to consistent [Ca/H] abundances from the two ionisation stages. In the MP stars, the NLTE abundance from Ca II 8498 A agrees well with that from the Ca I subordinate lines. NLTE largely removes abundance discrepancies between the high-excitation lines of Ca I and Ca II 8498 A obtained for our four [Fe/H] < -2 stars under the LTE assumption. We investigate the formation of the Ca I resonance line in the [Fe/H] < -2 stars. Consistent NLTE abundances from the Ca I resonance line and the Ca II lines are found for two hyper metal-poor stars HE0107-5240 and HE1327-2326. We provide the NLTE abundance corrections for 28 lines of Ca I in a grid of model atmospheres suitable for abundance analysis of FGK-type dwarfs and subgiants.Comment: 12 pages, 3 tables, 10 figures; accepted for publication in A&