On the problem of selective enhancement of barium in the atmospheres of baii stars

High-resolution spectroscopy and standard LTE analysis of 31 barium and normal red giants (Astron. Astrophys. 283, 1994, p. 937) shows a selective enhancement of Ba (∼ +0.5 dex) in two stars. HR3845 and HD130386, relative to the standard star ε Vir. We do not overinterpret these enhancements due to possible errors in the equivalent widths or in the atmospheric parameters. The non-LTE analysis of BaII in the atmospheres of red (barium) giants shows that the corrections for the non-LTE effects is relatively small, reaching a maximum of -0.16 dex, therefore, the enhancement of barium had apparently another nature

An abundance analysis of the single-lined spectroscopic binaries with barium stars-like orbital elements: I. Analysis and results

Detailed abundance analyses have been carried out for 17 single-lined binaries (giants and dwarfs) with orbital elements and mass functions similar to those of barium stars, using high-dispersion CCD spectra and model atmospheres. All these binary systems contain an unseen low-mass component, presumably, a white dwarf. A mild enhancement (+0.1-0.25 dex) of the averaged s-process elements abundances has been found only for two stars. The heavy-element overabundances in these stars are much less marked than those of the classical barium stars having similar orbital periods. We have concluded that the existence of a white dwarf (WD) companion in binary systems with barium star like characteristics is not sufficient to produce a strong barium star. However, five of the analyzed giants show a significant enhancement (0.2-0.3 dex) of barium. The analysis indicates that a main sequence companion has not a significant influence (due to tidal mixing, as has been sometimes suggested) on the internal structure (chemical composition) of the primary star. Since barium enhanced giants occupy a place on the (eccentricity-orbital period) plane similar to Ball stars we have concluded that a mild barium enhancement in these stars is due to mass transfer from the companion during its late phases of evolution. Thus it seems likely that all giants (primaries) in barium star like binary systems with WD component have chemical peculiarities (very slight in some cases) depending, apparently, on the efficiency of mass transfer in a specific binary system. The significant enhancement of heavy elements in the atmospheres of two radial velocity non-variable barium stars shows then that these barium stars have either very long orbital periods or high inclined orbital planes

On metal-deficient barium stars and their link with yellow symbiotic stars

This paper addresses the question of why metal-deficient barium stars are not yellow symbiotic stars (YSyS). Samples of (suspected) metal-deficient barium (mdBa) stars and YSyS have been collected from the literature, and their properties reviewed. It appears in particular that the barium nature of the suspected mdBa stars needs to be ascertained by detailed abundance analyses. Abundances are therefore derived for two of them, HD 139409 and HD 148897, which reveal that HD 148897 should not be considered a barium star. HD 139409 is a mild barium star, with overabundances observed only for elements belonging to the first s-process peak (Y and Zr). The evidence for binarity among mdBa stars is then reviewed, using three different methods: (i) radial-velocity variations (from CORAVEL observations), (ii) Hipparcos astrometric data, and (iii) a method based on the comparison between the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 proper motions. A first-time orbit is obtained for HIP 55852, whereas evidence for the (so far unknown) binary nature of HIP 34795, HIP 76605, HIP 97874 and HIP 107478 is presented. Two stars with no evidence for binarity whatsoever (HIP 58596 and BD +3 2688) are candidates low-metallicity thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars, as inferred from their large luminosities. The reason why mdBa stars are not YSyS is suggested to lie in their different orbital period distributions: mdBa stars have on average longer orbital periods than YSyS, and hence their companion accretes matter at a lower rate, for a given mass loss rate of the giant star. The definite validation of this explanation should nevertheless await the determination of the orbital periods for the many mdBa stars still lacking periods, in order to make the comparison more significant.Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics, in press; 16 pages, 14 figures; also available at http://www.astro.ulb.ac.be/Html/ps.html#PR

Evolution, nucleosynthesis and yields of low mass AGB stars at different metallicities (II): the FRUITY database

By using updated stellar low mass stars models, we can systematically investigate the nucleosynthesis processes occurring in AGB stars, when these objects experience recurrent thermal pulses and third dredge-up episodes. In this paper we present the database dedicated to the nucleosynthesis of AGB stars: the FRUITY (FRANEC Repository of Updated Isotopic Tables & Yields) database. An interactive web-based interface allows users to freely download the full (from H to Bi) isotopic composition, as it changes after each third dredge-up episode and the stellar yields the models produce. A first set of AGB models, having masses in the range 1.5 < M/Msun < 3.0 and metallicities 1e-3 < Z < 2e-2, is discussed here. For each model, a detailed description of the physical and the chemical evolution is provided. In particular, we illustrate the details of the s-process and we evaluate the theoretical uncertainties due to the parametrization adopted to model convection and mass loss. The resulting nucleosynthesis scenario is checked by comparing the theoretical [hs/ls] and [Pb/hs] ratios to those obtained from the available abundance analysis of s-enhanced stars. On the average, the variation with the metallicity of these spectroscopic indexes is well reproduced by theoretical models, although the predicted spread at a given metallicity is substantially smaller than the observed one. Possible explanations for such a difference are briefly discussed. An independent check of the third dredge-up efficiency is provided by the C-stars luminosity function. Consequently, theoretical C-stars luminosity functions for the Galactic disk and the Magellanic Clouds have been derived. We generally find a good agreement with observations.Comment: Accepted for Publication on The Astrophysical Journal Supplement

Convective-reactive proton-C12 combustion in Sakurai's object (V4334 Sagittarii) and implications for the evolution and yields from the first generations of stars

Depending on mass and metallicity as well as evolutionary phase, stars occasionally experience convective-reactive nucleosynthesis episodes. We specifically investigate the situation when nucleosynthetically unprocessed, H-rich material is convectively mixed with a He-burning zone, for example in convectively unstable shell on top of electron-degenerate cores in AGB stars, young white dwarfs or X-ray bursting neutron stars. Such episodes are frequently encountered in stellar evolution models of stars of extremely low or zero metal content [...] We focus on the convective-reactive episode in the very-late thermal pulse star Sakurai's object (V4334 Sagittarii). Asplund etal. (1999) determined the abundances of 28 elements, many of which are highly non-solar, ranging from H, He and Li all the way to Ba and La, plus the C isotopic ratio. Our simulations show that the mixing evolution according to standard, one-dimensional stellar evolution models implies neutron densities in the He that are too low to obtain a significant neutron capture nucleosynthesis on the heavy elements. We have carried out 3D hydrodynamic He-shell flash convection [...] we assume that the ingestion process of H into the He-shell convection zone leads only after some delay time to a sufficient entropy barrier that splits the convection zone [...] we obtain significantly higher neutron densities (~few 10^15 1/cm^3) and reproduce the key observed abundance trends found in Sakurai's object. These include an overproduction of Rb, Sr and Y by about 2 orders of magnitude higher than the overproduction of Ba and La. Such a peculiar nucleosynthesis signature is impossible to obtain with the mixing predictions in our one-dimensional stellar evolution models. [...] We determine how our results depend on uncertainties of nuclear reaction rates, for example for the C13(\alpha, n)O16 reaction.Comment: ApJ in press, this revision contains several changes that improve clarity of presentation reflecting the suggestions made by the referee; this version represents no change in substance compared to version 1; some technical material has been moved to an appendix; an additional appendix deals in more detail with the combustion time scales; this version is practically identical to the ApJ versio

An abundance analysis of the symbiotic star CH Cyg

The photospheric abundances for the cool component of the symbiotic star CH Cyg were calculated for the first time using high-resolution near-infrared spectra and the method of of standard LTE analysis and atmospheric models. The iron abundance for CH Cyg was found to be solar, [Fe/H] = 0.0+/-0.19. The atmospheric parameters and metallicity for CH Cyg are found to be approximately equal to those for nearby field M7 giants. The calculated [C/H] = -0.15, [N/H] = +0.16, [O/H] = -0.07, and the isotopic ratios of 12C/13C and 16O/17O are close to the mean values for single M giants that have experienced the first dredge-up. A reasonable explanation for the absence of barium star-like chemical peculiarities seems to be the high metallicity of CH Cyg. The emission line technique was explored for estimating CNO ratios in the wind of the giant.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables; accepted for publication in A&

On the problem of selective enhancement of barium in the atmospheres of baii stars

High-resolution spectroscopy and standard LTE analysis of 31 barium and normal red giants (Astron. Astrophys. 283, 1994, p. 937) shows a selective enhancement of Ba (∼ +0.5 dex) in two stars. HR3845 and HD130386, relative to the standard star ε Vir. We do not overinterpret these enhancements due to possible errors in the equivalent widths or in the atmospheric parameters. The non-LTE analysis of BaII in the atmospheres of red (barium) giants shows that the corrections for the non-LTE effects is relatively small, reaching a maximum of -0.16 dex, therefore, the enhancement of barium had apparently another nature

On the problem of selective enhancement of barium in the atmospheres of baii stars

High-resolution spectroscopy and standard LTE analysis of 31 barium and normal red giants (Astron. Astrophys. 283, 1994, p. 937) shows a selective enhancement of Ba (∼ +0.5 dex) in two stars. HR3845 and HD130386, relative to the standard star ε Vir. We do not overinterpret these enhancements due to possible errors in the equivalent widths or in the atmospheric parameters. The non-LTE analysis of BaII in the atmospheres of red (barium) giants shows that the corrections for the non-LTE effects is relatively small, reaching a maximum of -0.16 dex, therefore, the enhancement of barium had apparently another nature