Abundance Patterns in S-type AGB stars : Setting Constraints on Nucleosynthesis and Stellar Evolution Models

Abstract

During the evolution on the AGB, S-type stars are the first objects to experience s-process nucleosynthesis and third dredge-ups, and therefore to exhibit sprocess signatures in their atmospheres. Their significant mass loss rates (10^-7 to 10^-6 M*/year) make them major contributors to the AGB nucleosynthesis yields at solar metallicity. Precise abundance determinations in S stars are of the utmost importance for constraining e.g. the third dredge-up luminosity and efficiency (which has been only crudely parameterized in all current nucleosynthetic models so far). Here, dedicated S-star model atmospheres are used to determine precise abundances of key s-process elements, and to set constraints on nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution models. A special interest is paid to technetium, an element with no stable isotopes (99Tc, the only isotope produced by the s-process in AGB stars, has a half-life of 2.1 x 10^5 years). Its detection is considered as the best signature that the star effectively populates the thermally-pulsing AGB phase of evolution. The derived Tc/Zr abundances are compared, as a function of the derived [Zr/Fe] overabundances, with AGB stellar model predictions. The [Zr/Fe] overabundances are in good agreement with the model predictions, while the Tc/Zr abundances are slightly overpredicted. This discrepancy can help to set better constraints on nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution models of AGB stars.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, To be published in the proceedings of the conference "Why Galaxies Care about AGB Stars II", held in Vienna, August 16-20, 2010; eds Franz Kerschbaum, Thomas Lebzelter, and Bob Wing, ASP Conf. Serie