122 research outputs found
The role of binaries in the enrichment of the early Galactic halo. II. Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor Stars - CEMP-no stars
The detailed composition of most metal-poor halo stars has been found to be
very uniform. However, a fraction of 20-70% (increasing with decreasing
metallicity) exhibit dramatic enhancements in their abundances of carbon - the
so-called carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars. A key question for Galactic
chemical evolution models is whether this non-standard composition reflects
that of the stellar natal clouds, or is due to local, post-birth mass transfer
of chemically processed material from a binary companion; CEMP stars should
then all be members of binary systems. Our aim is to determine the frequency
and orbital parameters of binaries among CEMP stars with and without
over-abundances of neutron-capture elements - CEMP-s and CEMP-no stars,
respectively - as a test of this local mass-transfer scenario. This paper
discusses a sample of 24 CEMP-no stars, while a subsequent paper will consider
a similar sample of CEMP-s stars. Most programme stars exhibit no statistically
significant radial-velocit variation over this period and appear to be single,
while four are found to be binaries with orbital periods of 300-2,000 days and
normal eccentricity; the binary frequency for the sample is 17+-9%. The single
stars mostly belong to the recently-identified ``low-C band'', while the
binaries have higher absolute carbon abundances. We conclude that the
nucleosynthetic process responsible for the strong carbon excess in these
ancient stars is unrelated to their binary status; the carbon was imprinted on
their natal molecular clouds in the early Galactic ISM by an even earlier,
external source, strongly indicating that the CEMP-no stars are likely bona
fide second-generation stars. We discuss potential production sites for carbon
and its transfer across interstellar distances in the early ISM, and
implications for the composition of high-redshift DLA systems. Abridged.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
Chronography of the Milky Way's Halo System with Field Blue Horizontal-Branch Stars
In a pioneering effort, Preston et al. reported that the colors of blue
horizontal-branch (BHB) stars in the halo of the Galaxy shift with distance,
from regions near the Galactic center to about 12 kpc away, and interpreted
this as a correlated variation in the ages of halo stars, from older to
younger, spanning a range of a few Gyrs. We have applied this approach to a
sample of some 4700 spectroscopically confirmed BHB stars selected from the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey to produce the first "chronographic map" of the halo
of the Galaxy. We demonstrate that the mean de-reddened gr color,
, increases outward in the Galaxy from 0.22 to 0.08 (over a
color window spanning [0.3:0.0]) from regions close to the Galactic center
to ~40 kpc, independent of the metallicity of the stars. Models of the expected
shift in the color of the field BHB stars based on modern stellar evolutionary
codes confirm that this color gradient can be associated with an age difference
of roughly 2-2.5 Gyrs, with the oldest stars concentrated in the central ~15
kpc of the Galaxy. Within this central region, the age difference spans a mean
color range of about 0.05 mag (~0.8 Gyrs). Furthermore, we show that
chronographic maps can be used to identify individual substructures, such as
the Sagittarius Stream, and overdensities in the direction of Virgo and
Monoceros, based on the observed contrast in their mean BHB colors with respect
to the foreground/background field population.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, ApJ letter
An Elemental Assay of Very, Extremely, and Ultra Metal-Poor Stars
We present a high-resolution elemental-abundance analysis for a sample of 23
very metal-poor (VMP; [Fe/H] < -2.0) stars, 12 of which are extremely
metal-poor (EMP; [Fe/H] < -3.0), and 4 of which are ultra metal-poor (UMP;
[Fe/H] < -4.0). These stars were targeted to explore differences in the
abundance ratios for elements that constrain the possible astrophysical sites
of element production, including Li, C, N, O, the alpha-elements, the iron-peak
elements, and a number of neutron-capture elements. This sample substantially
increases the number of known carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) and
nitrogen-enhanced metal-poor (NEMP) stars -- our program stars include eight
that are considered "normal" metal-poor stars, six CEMP-no stars, five CEMP-s
stars, two CEMP-r stars, and two CEMP-r/s stars. One of the CEMP- stars and
one of the CEMP-r/s stars are possible NEMP stars. We detect lithium for three
of the six CEMP-no stars, all of which are Li-depleted with respect to the
Spite plateau. The majority of the CEMP stars have [C/N] > 0. The stars with
[C/N] < 0 suggest a larger degree of mixing; the few CEMP-no stars that exhibit
this signature are only found at [Fe/H] < -3.4, a metallicity below which we
also find the CEMP-no stars with large enhancements in Na, Mg, and Al. We
confirm the existence of two plateaus in the absolute carbon abundances of CEMP
stars, as suggested by Spite et al. We also present evidence for a "floor" in
the absolute Ba abundances of CEMP-no stars at A(Ba)~ -2.0.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
Abundances of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars as constraints on their formation
Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics. © 2018 ESO.Context. An increasing fraction of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars is found as their iron abundance, [Fe/H], decreases below [Fe/H] =−2.0. The CEMP-s stars have the highest absolute carbon abundances, [C/H], and are thought to owe their enrichment in carbon and the slow neutron-capture (s-process) elements to mass transfer from a former asymptotic giant branch (AGB) binary companion. The most Fe-poor CEMP stars are normally single, exhibit somewhat lower [C/H] than CEMP-s stars, but show no s-process element enhancement (CEMP-no stars). Abundance determinations of CNO offer clues to their formation sites. Aims. Our aim is to use the medium-resolution spectrograph X-Shooter/VLT to determine stellar parameters and abundances for C, N, Sr, and Ba in several classes of CEMP stars in order to further classify and constrain the astrophysical formation sites of these stars. Methods. Atmospheric parameters for our programme stars were estimated from a combination of V−K photometry, model isochrone fits, and estimates from a modified version of the SDSS/SEGUE spectroscopic pipeline. We then used X-Shooter spectra in conjunction with the 1D local thermodynamic equilibrium spectrum synthesis code MOOG, 1D ATLAS9 atmosphere models to derive stellar abundances, and, where possible, isotopic 12C/13C ratios. Results. Abundances (or limits) of C, N, Sr, and Ba are derived for a sample of 27 faint metal-poor stars for which the X-Shooter spectra have sufficient signal-to-noise ratios (S/N). These moderate resolution, low S/N (~10−40) spectra prove sufficient to perform limited chemical tagging and enable assignment of these stars into the CEMP subclasses (CEMP-s and CEMP-no). According to the derived abundances, 17 of our sample stars are CEMP-s and 3 are CEMP-no, while the remaining 7 are carbon-normal. For four CEMP stars, the subclassification remains uncertain, and two of them may be pulsating AGB stars. Conclusions. The derived stellar abundances trace the formation processes and sites of our sample stars. The [C/N] abundance ratio is useful for identifying stars with chemical compositions unaffected by internal mixing, and the [Sr/Ba] abundance ratio allows us to distinguish between CEMP-s stars with AGB progenitors and the CEMP-no stars. Suggested formation sites for the latter include faint supernovae with mixing and fallback and/or primordial, rapidly-rotating, massive stars (spinstars). X-Shooter spectra have thus proved to be valuable tools in the continued search for their origin.Peer reviewe
Hubble Space Telescope Near-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Bright CEMP-s Stars
We present an elemental-abundance analysis, in the near-ultraviolet (NUV)
spectral range, for the bright carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars HD196944
(V = 8.40, [Fe/H] = -2.41) and HD201626 (V = 8.16, [Fe/H] = -1.51), based on
data acquired with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the
Hubble Space Telescope. Both of these stars belong to the sub-class CEMP-s, and
exhibit clear over-abundances of heavy elements associated with production by
the slow neutron-capture process. HD196944 has been well-studied in the optical
region, but we are able to add abundance results for six species (Ge, Nb, Mo,
Lu, Pt, and Au) that are only accessible in the NUV. In addition, we provide
the first determination of its orbital period, P=1325 days. HD201626 has only a
limited number of abundance results based on previous optical work -- here we
add five new species from the NUV, including Pb. We compare these results with
models of binary-system evolution and s-process element production in stars on
the asymptotic giant branch, aiming to explain their origin and evolution. Our
best-fitting models for HD 196944 (M1,i = 0.9Mo, M2,i = 0.86Mo, for
[Fe/H]=-2.2), and HD 201626 (M1,i = 0.9Mo , M2,i = 0.76Mo , for [Fe/H]=-2.2;
M1,i = 1.6Mo , M2,i = 0.59Mo, for [Fe/H]=-1.5) are consistent with the current
accepted scenario for the formation of CEMP-s stars.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in Ap
The r-Process Pattern of a Bright, Highly r-Process-Enhanced, Metal-Poor Halo Star at [Fe/H] ~ -2
A high-resolution spectroscopic analysis is presented for a new highly
r-process-enhanced ([Eu/Fe] = 1.27, [Ba/Eu] = -0.65), very metal-poor ([Fe/H] =
-2.09), retrograde halo star, RAVE J153830.9-180424, discovered as part of the
R-Process Alliance survey. At V = 10.86, this is the brightest and most
metal-rich r-II star known in the Milky Way halo. Its brightness enables
high-S/N detections of a wide variety of chemical species that are mostly
created by the r-process, including some infrequently detected lines from
elements like Ru, Pd, Ag, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, and Th, with upper limits on Pb and
U. This is the most complete r-process census in a very metal-poor r-II star.
J1538-1804 shows no signs of s-process contamination, based on its low [Ba/Eu]
and [Pb/Fe]. As with many other r-process-enhanced stars, J1538-1804's
r-process pattern matches that of the Sun for elements between the first,
second, and third peaks, and does not exhibit an actinide boost.
Cosmo-chronometric age-dating reveals the r-process material to be quite old.
This robust main r-process pattern is a necessary constraint for r-process
formation scenarios (of particular interest in light of the recent neutron star
merger, GW 170817), and has important consequences for the origins of r-II
stars. Additional r-I and r-II stars will be reported by the R-Process Alliance
in the near future.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ letter
The Chemodynamical Nature of the Triangulum-Andromeda Overdensity
We present a chemodynamical study of the Triangulum-Andromeda overdensity
(TriAnd) employing a sample of 31 candidate stars observed with the GRACES
high-resolution (=40,000) spectrograph at the Gemini North (8.1 m)
telescope. TriAnd is a stellar substructure found toward the outer disk of the
Milky Way, located at kpc from the Sun, toward Galactic
latitude {\deg}. Most stars in our sample have dynamical properties
compatible with a disk stellar population. In addition, by applying an
eccentricity cut, we are able to detect a stellar contamination that seems to
be consistent with an accreted population. In chemical abundance space, the
majority of our TriAnd candidates are similar to the outer thin-disk
population, suggesting that the overdensity has an \textit{in situ} origin.
Finally, the found accreted halo interlopers spatially overlapping with TriAnd
should explain the historical discussion of the overdensity's nature due to its
complex chemical patterns.Comment: Published in The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ
J-PLUS: Identification of low-metallicity stars with artificial neural networks using SPHINX
We present a new methodology for the estimation of stellar atmospheric
parameters from narrow- and intermediate-band photometry of the Javalambre
Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS), and propose a method for target
pre-selection of low-metallicity stars for follow-up spectroscopic studies.
Photometric metallicity estimates for stars in the globular cluster M15 are
determined using this method. By development of a neural-network-based
photometry pipeline, we aim to produce estimates of effective temperature,
, and metallicity, [Fe/H], for a large subset of stars in the
J-PLUS footprint. The Stellar Photometric Index Network Explorer, SPHINX, is
developed to produce estimates of and [Fe/H], after training on a
combination of J-PLUS photometric inputs and synthetic magnitudes computed for
medium-resolution (R ~ 2000) spectra of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This
methodology is applied to J-PLUS photometry of the globular cluster M15.
Effective temperature estimates made with J-PLUS Early Data Release photometry
exhibit low scatter, \sigma() = 91 K, over the temperature range
4500 < (K) < 8500. For stars from the J-PLUS First Data Release
with 4500 < (K) < 6200, 85 3% of stars known to have [Fe/H]
<-2.0 are recovered by SPHINX. A mean metallicity of [Fe/H]=-2.32 0.01,
with a residual spread of 0.3 dex, is determined for M15 using J-PLUS
photometry of 664 likely cluster members. We confirm the performance of SPHINX
within the ranges specified, and verify its utility as a stand-alone tool for
photometric estimation of effective temperature and metallicity, and for
pre-selection of metal-poor spectroscopic targets.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figure
An elemental assay of very, extremely, and ultra-metal-poor stars
We present a high-resolution elemental-abundance analysis for a sample of 23 very metal-poor ([Fe/H] 0. The stars with [C/N] < 0 suggest a larger degree of mixing; the few CEMP-no stars that exhibit this signature are only found at [Fe/H] < −3.4, a metallicity below which we also find the CEMP-no stars with large enhancements in Na, Mg, and Al. We confirm the existence of two plateaus in the absolute carbon abundances of CEMP stars, as suggested by Spite et al. We also present evidence for a "floor" in the absolute Ba abundances of CEMP-no stars at A(Ba) ~ −2.0
Characterisation of high velocity stars in the S-PLUS internal fourth data release
In general, the atypical high velocity of some stars in the Galaxy can only
be explained by invoking acceleration mechanisms related to extreme
astrophysical events in the Milky Way. Using astrometric data from Gaia and the
photometric information in 12 filters of the S-PLUS, we performed a kinematic,
dynamical, and chemical analysis of 64 stars with galactocentric velocities
higher than 400 . All the stars are gravitationally bound
to the Galaxy and exhibit halo kinematics. Some of the stars could be remnants
of structures such as the Sequoia and the Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus. Supported by
orbital and chemical analysis, we identified Gaia DR3 5401875170994688896 as a
star likely to be originated at the centre of the Galaxy. Application of a
machine learning technique to the S-PLUS photometric data allows us to obtain
very good estimates of magnesium abundances for this sample of high velocity
stars
- …