Studies of nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven winds from nascent neutron stars show that the elements from Sr through Ag with mass numbers A~88-110 are produced by charged-particle reactions (CPR) during the alpha-process in the winds. Accordingly, we have attributed all these elements in stars of low metallicities ([Fe/H]<-1.5) to low-mass and normal supernovae (SNe) from progenitors of ~8-11M_sun and ~12-25M_sun, respectively, which leave behind neutron stars. Using this rule and attributing all Fe production to normal SNe, we previously developed a phenomenological two-component model, which predicts that [Sr/Fe]>-0.32 for all metal-poor stars. The high-resolution data now available on Sr abundances in Galactic halo stars show that there is a great shortfall of Sr relative to Fe in many stars with [Fe/H]<-3. This is in direct conflict with the above prediction. The same conflict also exists for two other CPR elements Y and Zr. The very low abundances of Sr, Y, and Zr observed in stars with [Fe/H]<-3 thus require a stellar source that cannot be low-mass or normal SNe. We show that this observation requires a stellar source leaving behind black holes and that hypernovae (HNe) from progenitors of ~25-50M_sun are the most plausible candidates. (Abridged)
I briefly draw comparisons between the fields of damped Lya and metal-poor stellar abundances. In particular, I examine their complementary age-metallicity relations and comparisons between the damped Lya and dwarf galaxy abundance patterns. Regarding the latter, I describe a series of problems concerning associating high z damped Lya systems with present-day dwarfs.
We present a new analysis of the abundances observed in extremely metal poor stars based on both a new generation of theoretical presupernova models and explosions of zero metallicity massive stars and a new abundance analysis of an homogeneous sample of stars having [Fe/H]<-2.5 (Cayrel et al. 2004).
The dispersion and mean trends of r-process abundances in metal-poor stars are discussed based on a model of diverse supernova sources for the r-process. This model is unique in that its key parameters are inferred from solar system data independent of stellar observations at low metallicities. It is shown that this model provides a good explanation for the observed dispersion and mean trend of Eu abundances over -3 < [Fe/H] < -1. It is also shown that this model provides a means to discuss r-abundances in general. For example, the Ag abundance in any metal-poor star with observed Eu and Fe ab…
Europium isotopic abundance fractions are reported for the very metal-poor, neutron-capture-rich giant stars CS 22892-052, HD 115444, and BD +17 3248. The abundance fractions, derived from analysis of several strong Eu II lines appearing in high-resolution spectra of these stars, are in excellent agreement with each other and with their values in the Solar System: fraction(\iso{Eu}{151}) ~= fraction(\iso{Eu}{153}) ~= 0.5. Detailed abundance studies of very metal-poor stars have previously shown that the total elemental abundances of stable atoms with atomic numbers z >= 56 typically match very…
We calculate evolution and nucleosynthesis in massive Pop III stars with M = 13 ~ 270Msun, and compare the results with abundances of very metal-poor halo stars. The observed abundances can be explained by the energetic core-collapse supernovae with M < ~ 130Msun (``hypernovae'') but not by pair-instability supernovae (PISNe) with M ~ 140-270 Msun. This result constrain the IMF for the Pop III and very metal-poor Pop II stars.
Following our solar work, we perform NLTE calculations of the Mn abundance for fourteen stars with [Fe/H] from 0 to -2.5, mainly to show how NLTE affects Mn abundances in cool stars of different metallicities.The spectrum synthesis and Mn abundances are based on statistical equilibrium calculations using various estimates for the influence of hydrogen collisions.The NLTE abundances of Mn in all studied stars are systematically higher than the LTE abundances. At low metallicities, the NLTE abundance corrections may run up to 0.5 - 0.7 dex. Instead of a strong depletion of Mn relative to Fe in m…
New low and intermediate star yields calculated by Buell (1997) are evaluated by using them in a Galactic Chemical Evolution model. We analyze their effects on CNO elemental abundances
We report abundance analyses of three extremely metal-poor stars with [Fe/H] $\lesssim -3$, using the Subaru High Dispersion Spectrograph (HDS). All are found to have sub-solar values of [Eu/Fe]. Comparison with our chemical evolution model of the Galactic halo implies the dominant source of Eu to be the low-mass end of the supernova mass range. Future studies of stars with low Eu abundances will be important to determine the r-process site.
We discuss the accuracy of the abundance determinations of H II regions in our Galaxy and other galaxies. We focus on the main observational constraints derived from abundance determinations that have implications for models of galactic chemical evolution: a) the helium to hydrogen abundance ratio, He/H; b) the oxygen to hydrogen abundance ratio, O/H; c) the carbon to oxygen abundance ratio, C/O; d) the helium to oxygen and helium to heavy elements abundance ratios, Delta Y/ Delta O and Delta Y/ Delta Z; and e) the primordial helium abundance, Yp.
We present carbon and strontium abundances for 100 metal-poor stars measured from R$\sim $7000 spectra obtained with the Echellette Spectrograph and Imager at the Keck Observatory. Using spectral synthesis of the G-band region, we have derived carbon abundances for stars ranging from [Fe/H]$=-1.3$ to [Fe/H]$=-3.8$. The formal errors are $\sim 0.2$ dex in [C/Fe]. The strontium abundance in these stars was measured using spectral synthesis of the resonance line at 4215 Å. Using these two abundance measurments along with the barium abundances from our previous study of these stars, we show it is …
Metal-poor stars provide information on the characteristics and chemical evolution of the halo population of the Galaxy, the first epoch of star formation and Galaxy formation (not just locally but with relevance to high-redshift objects), and big bang nucleosynthesis. This review looks at recent developments in this subject.
We report the abundance analysis of one red giant branch star in the metal-poor outer halo globular cluster NGC 5694. We obtain [Fe/H] = -1.93, based on the ionized lines, and our metallicity measurement is in good agreement with previous estimates. We find that [Ca+Ti/2Fe] and [Cu/Fe] of NGC 5694 are about 0.3 -- 0.4 dex lower than other globular clusters with similar metallicities, but similar to some LMC clusters and stars in some dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Differences persist, however, in the abundances of neutron capture elements. The unique chemical abundance pattern and the large Galact…
We have determined beryllium abundances for 25 metal-poor stars based on the high resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio spectra from the VLT/UVES database. Our results confirm that Be abundances increase with Fe, supporting the global enrichment of Be in the Galaxy. Oxygen abundances based on [O I] forbidden line implies a linear relation with a slope close to one for the Be vs. O trend, which indicates that Be is probably produced in a primary process. Some strong evidences are found for the intrinsic dispersion of Be abundances at a given metallicity. The deviation of HD132475 and HD1266…
We discuss the effects of collisional enhancement of Balmer lines on the determination of the primordial helium abundance. To this aim, we present a photoionization model of the metal-poor extragalactic HII region SBS 0335--052. We show that the derived helium abundance (Y) of this HII region depends on the amount of collisional excitation affecting the Balmer lines, both directly (through an underestimation of the actual He/H ratio) and indirectly (through an overestimation of the interstellar reddening). We detail how each of these effects affects the derived value of Y.
We carried out a homogeneous abundance study for various elements, including $α$-elements, iron peak elements and $n$-capture elements for 35 metal-poor stars with a wide metallicity range ($-3.0\lesssim$[Fe/H]$\lesssim-0.5$). High-resolution ($R\simeq30$k), high signal-to-noise($S/N\geq110$) spectra with a wavelength range of 3800 to 10500 Åusing the Bohyunsan Optical Echelle Spectrograph (BOES). Equivalent widths were measured by means of the Gaussian-fitting method for numerous isolated weak lines of elements. Atmospheric parameters were determined by a self-consistent LTE analysis techniqu…
A simple theory for the chemical enrichment of the Galaxy which takes into account the effects of spiral arms on heavy elements output was developed. In the framework of the model with the corotation close to the position of the Sun in the Galaxy the observed abundance features are explained.
We have obtained high-resolution high signal-to-noise spectra of the SI near-infrared doublet at 8694 A in eight metal-poor stars with metallicities in the range -0.6 <[Fe/H]< -3.0. Elemental sulphur abundances were derived for six targets and upper limits were set for two of the most metal-poor stars in the sample. The sulphur doublet at 8694.62 A has been detected in three stars (HD19445, HD2665 and HD2796) with [Fe/H]< -1.9. Our observations combined with those available in the literature indicate a monotonic increase of the [S/Fe] ratio as [Fe/H] decreases, reaching values [S/Fe]~0.7-0.8 b…
We present chemical abundances for 110 stars identified in objective-prism surveys as candidates to be very metal-poor. The abundances are derived from high S/N, intermediate-resolution spectra obtained with the Keck Observatory Echelle Spectrometer and Imager. An additional 25 stars with well-determined abundances ranging from [Fe/H]$=-1.5$ and -3.2 were observed and the results used to help calibrate our analysis and determine the accuracy of our abundance determinations. Abundances for the program stars were measured for Fe, Mg, Ca, Ti, Cr and Ba with an accuracy of approximately 0.3 dex. 5…
We study how chemical abundances of late B-, A- and early F-type stars evolve with time, and we search for correlations between the abundance of chemical elements and other stellar parameters, such as effective temperature and Vsini. We have observed a large number of B-, A- and F-type stars belonging to open clusters of different ages. In this paper we concentrate on the Praesepe cluster (log t = 8.85), for which we have obtained high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra of sixteen normal A- and F-type stars and one Am star, using the SOPHIE spectrograph of the Observatoire de Haute…
The determination of the heavy element abundances from giant extragalactic H II regions is based on collisionally excited lines. We argue that in the presence of temperature variations the abundances determined are lower limits to the real heavy element abundances. To determine the real abundances it is necessary to take into account the temperature variations present in these nebulae. We discuss the relevance of obtaining accurate line intensities of recombination lines of H, He, C, and O to determine the chemical composition of extragalactic H II regions. We suggest that Pagel's method to de…
In this summary I review some results relative to: planetary nebulae, H II regions, chemical evolution of galaxies, and the determination of the primordial helium abundance. These results were presented during the symposium "Ionized Gaseous Nebulae" which took place in Mexico City, Nov, 2000. To get a more general perspective of this meeting I encourage you to read all the contributions to the symposium proceedings.
Infrared OH lines at 1.5 - 1.7 um in the H band were obtained with the NIRSPEC high-resolution spectrograph at the 10m Keck Telescope for a sample of seven metal-poor stars. Detailed analyses have been carried out, based on optical high-resolution data obtained with the FEROS spectrograph at ESO. Stellar parameters were derived by adopting infrared flux method effective temperatures, trigonometric and/or evolutionary gravities and metallicities from FeII lines. We obtain that the sample stars with metallicities [Fe/H] < -2.2 show a mean oxygen abundance [O/Fe] ~ 0.54, for a solar oxygen abunda…
In this review we present a brief discussion on the observational evidence in favor of the presence of temperature variations, and conclude that many planetary nebulae show spatial temperature variations that are larger than those predicted by 1D static chemically homogeneous photoionization models. To determine accurate chemical abundances it is necessary to know the cause of these temperature variations and several possibilities are discussed. The importance of this problem is paramount to test the models of stellar evolution of low and intermediate mass stars and of the chemical evolution o…
The connection between age, rotation and chemical abundance of magnetic Ap stars is poorly understood. Using open clusters, we are able to study samples of stars that are both co-eval and co-environmental. By determining rotation and chemical abundance for Ap star members of clusters with various ages, the variations of these properties as a function of age and environment can be derived. All four probable Ap star members of the open cluster NGC 6475, as well as one normal late B star, were studied using detailed spectrum synthesis of high resolution UVES-POP spectra. Probable cluster membersh…
We present a chemical composition analysis of three dozen giant stars in the nearby ``CN-bimodal'' mildly metal-poor (<[Fe/H]> = -1.18) globular cluster M4. The analysis combined traditional spectroscopic abundance methods with modifications to the line-depth ratio technique pioneered by Gray (1994). Silicon and aluminum are found to be primordially overabundant by factors exceeding the mild overabundances usually seen in alpha- and light odd elements among halo field and globular cluster giants of comparable metallicity. In addition, barium is found to be overabundant by a factor of about fou…
We present chemical abundances for Mg, Si, Ca and Fe for three red giants in the sparse globular cluster Terzan 7, physically associated to the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy (Sgr dSph), which is presently being tidally disrupted by the Milky Way. The data has been obtained with VLT-UVES and show a mean [Fe/H]=-0.57, with solar alpha content, mean [alpha/Fe]=-0.03. This enforces Ter 7's membership to the Sgr dSph system, which shows a similar pattern of abundance.
The analysis of metal-rich HII regions has a profound impact on the calibration of abundance diagnostics widely used to measure the chemical content of star-forming galaxies, both locally and at high redshift. I review the main difficulties that affect direct abundance determinations from temperature-sensitive collisionally excited lines, and briefly discuss strong-line methods, in particular their empirical calibration. In the near future it will be possible to calibrate strong-line methods using metal recombination lines, providing abundances that are virtually insensitive to uncertainties o…
Much of modern astrophysics is grounded on the observed chemical compositions of stars and the diffuse plasma that pervades the space between stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies. X-ray and EUV spectra of the hot plasma in the outer atmospheres of stars have demonstrated that these environments are subject to chemical fractionation in which the abundances of elements can be enhanced and depleted by an order of magnitude or more. These coronal abundance anomalies are discussed and some of the physical mechanisms that might be responsible for producing them are examined. It is argued that co…
Rapid neutron-capture (i.e., r-process) nucleosynthesis calculations, employing internally consistent and physically realistic nuclear physics input (QRPA beta-decay rates and the ETFSI-Q nuclear mass model), have been made. These calculations are compared with ground-based and HST observations of neutron-capture elements in the metal poor halo stars CS 22892--052, HD 115444, HD 122563 and HD 126238. The elemental abundances in all four metal-poor stars are consistent with the solar r-process elemental distribution for the elements Z >/= 56. These results strongly suggest, at least for those e…
We report on the first high spectral resolution analysis of extremely metal-poor halo stars from the Hamburg/ESO objective-prism survey (HES). The spectra were obtained with UVES at VLT-UT2. The two stars under investigation (\object {HE 1303--2708} and \object {HE 1353--2735}) are main-sequence turnoff-stars having metal abundances of [Fe/H]=-2.85 and -3.20, respectively. The stellar parameters derived from the UVES spectra are in very good agreement with those derived from moderate-resolution follow-up spectra. HE 1353--2735 is a double-lined spectroscopic binary. The two stars nicely reprod…
Realistic 3-dimensional (3D), radiative hydrodynamical surface convection simulations of the metal-poor halo stars HD 140283 and HD 84937 have been performed. Due to the dominance of adiabatic cooling over radiative heating very low atmospheric temperatures are encountered. The lack of spectral lines in these metal-poor stars thus causes much steeper temperature gradients than in classical 1D hydrostatic model atmospheres where the temperature of the optically thin layers is determined by radiative equilibrium. The modified atmospheric structures cause changes in the emergent stellar spectra. …
We studied the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium and stellar population of the building blocks of current typical galaxies in the field, in cosmological hydrodynamics simulations. The simulations include detail modeling of chemical enrichment by SNIa and SNII. In our simulations the metal missing problem is caused by chemical elements being locked upon in the central regions (or bulges) mainly, in stars. Supernova energy feedback could help to reduce this concentration by expelling metals to the intergalactic medium.
We present a detailed chemical abundance study of three red horizontal branch and two red giant branch stars in the metal-rich globular cluster NGC 6637 (M69). The value of [Fe/H] derived from LTE calculations is $-$0.77 $\pm$ 0.02 dex. We also discuss the anticorrelation between oxygen and sodium abundances in the program stars and compare the [Si/Ti] ratio of NGC 6637 with those of other globular clusters.
We investigate whether the observed high number of carbon- and nitrogen-enhanced extremely metal-poor stars could be explained by peculiar evolutionary properties during the core He flash at the tip of the red giant branch. For this purpose we compute a series of detailed stellar models expanding upon our previous work; in particular, we investigate if during the major He flash the penetration of the helium convective zone into the overlying hydrogen-rich layers can produce carbon- and nitrogen-rich abundances in agreement with current spectroscopic observations. The dependence of this phenome…
The validity of oxygen and nitrogen abundances derived from the global emission-line spectra of galaxies via the P-method has been investigated using a collection of published spectra of individual HII regions in irregular and spiral galaxies. The conclusions of Kobulnicky, Kennicutt & Pizagno (1999) that global emission-line spectra can reliably indicate the chemical properties of galaxies has been confirmed. It has been shown that the comparison of the global spectrum of a galaxy with a collection of spectra of individual HII regions can be used to distinguish high and low metallicity object…
The chemical compositions of 26 metal-poor stars that exhibit strong CH and/or C2 molecular bands are determined based on high-resolution spectroscopy. We define carbon-enhanced stars taking account of the carbon abundance ratio ([C/Fe]) and the evolutionary status. Twenty two stars in our sample satisfy our modified definition for Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor (CEMP) stars. In addition, we measure Na abundances for nine other carbon-enhanced stars for which abundances of other elements have been previously reported. Combining our new sample with the results of previous work, we investigate the a…
The CH star CS 31062-050 ([Fe/H]=-2.42) is one of the most useful stars yet discovered for evaluating the s-process in metal-poor stars. It is very abundant in heavy elements (e.g., [La/Fe]=2.2), and its relatively cool temperature and low gravity mean that there are many lines of interesting elements present in the spectrum. We measured the abundances of 22 elements with Z>29, including the rarely measured Lu and Pd. We derive an upper limit on the Th abundance as well. The abundances in CS 31062-050 show a similar pattern to many other metal-poor CH stars: high [Pb/Fe] and [Pb/La] ratios, lo…
We present the abundance analyses for the neutron-capture elements, and discuss the observed abundance distributions in very metal-poor stars with excesses of r-process elements. As has been found by previous abundance studies, the star-to-star scatter in the abundances of neutron-capture elements are very large. The abundance patterns of the heavy neutron-capture elements (56 $\leq$ Z $\leq$ 70) in seven objects with moderate to large excesses of the neutron-capture elements are similar to that of the solar system r-process component. These results strongly suggest that the heavy neutron-capt…
We report the spectrophotometric investigation of a planetary nebula sample located at the disk-bulge interface of the Milky Way. The main goal of this work was to determine the galactocentric distance where, according to the intermediate mass population, bulge and disk properties separate. In order to derive such distance, new abundances were derived for a sample of PN located at this region, and the results were combined with additional data from the literature. The abundance analysis indicates a chemical abundance distribution similar to that derived from bulge stars, as already pointed out…
We present preliminary iron abundances and $α$ element (Ca, Mg) abundance ratios for a sample of 22 Red Giant Branch (RGB) Stars in the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr), selected near the RGB-Tip. The sample is representative of the Sgr dominant population. The mean iron abundance is [Fe/H]=-0.49. The $α$ element abundance ratios are slightly subsolar, in agreement with the results recently prensented by Bonifacio et al.(2004, A&A, 414, 503).
Chemically peculiar stars define a class of stars that show unusual elemental abundances due to stellar photospheric effects and not due to natal variations. In this paper, we compare the elemental abundance patterns of the ultra metal-poor stars with metallicities [Fe/H] $\sim -5 $ to those of a subclass of chemically peculiar stars. These include post-AGB stars, RV Tauri variable stars, and the Lambda Bootis stars, which range in mass, age, binarity, and evolutionary status, yet can have iron abundance determinations as low as [Fe/H] $\sim -5$. These chemical peculiarities are interpreted as…
The determination of chemical abundances in star-forming galaxies and the study of their evolution on cosmological timescales are powerful tools for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. This contribution presents the latest results in this domain. We show that detailed studies of chemical abundances in UV-selected, HII and starburst nucleus galaxies, together with the development of new chemical evolution models, put strong constraints on the evolutionary stage of these objects in terms of star formation history. Finally, we summarize our current knowledge on the chemical properties o…
The abundance patterns of extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars provide us with important information on nucleosynthesis in supernovae (SNe) formed in a Pop III or EMP environment, and thus on the nature of the first stars in the Universe. We review nucleosynthesis yields of various types of those SNe, focusing on core-collapse (black-hole-forming) SNe with various progenitor masses, explosion energies (including Hypernovae), and asphericity. We discuss the implications of the observed trends in the abundance ratios among iron-peak elements, and the large C/Fe ratio observed in certain EMP stars wi…
uvby(--$β$) photometry has been obtained for an additional 411 very metal-poor stars selected from the HK survey, and used to derive basic parameters such as interstellar reddenings, metallicities, photometric classifications, distances, and relative ages... These very metal-poor stars are compared to M92 in the c_0,(b-y)_0 diagram, and evidence is seen for field stars 1-3 Gyrs younger than this globular cluster. The significance of these younger very metal-poor stars is discussed in the context of Galactic evolution, mentioning such possibilities as hierarchical star-formation/mass-infall of …
We present a model to explain the wide range of abundances for heavy r-process elements (mass number A > 130) at low [Fe/H]. This model requires rapid star formation and/or an initial population of supermassive stars in the earliest condensed clots of matter to provide a prompt or initial Fe inventory. Subsequent Fe and r-process enrichment was provided by two types of supernovae: one producing heavy r-elements with no Fe on a rather short timescale and the other producing light r-elements (A < or = 130) with Fe on a much longer timescale.
A stochastic model of the chemical enrichment of metal-poor systems by core-collapse supernovae is used to study the scatter in stellar abundance ratios. The resulting scatter in abundance ratios, e.g. as functions of the overall metallicity, is demonstrated to be crucially dependent on the as yet uncertain supernovae yields. The observed abundance ratios and their scatters therefore have diagnostic power as regards the yields. The relatively small star-to-star scatter observed in many chemical abundance ratios, e.g. by Cayrel et al. (2004) for stars down to [Fe/H] = -4, is tentatively explain…
We employ a new Infrared Flux Method (IRFM) temperature scale (Ramirez & Melendez 2005, ApJ 626, 446; ApJ 626, 465) in order to determine Li, O, and Fe NLTE abundances in a sample of relatively unevolved (dwarfs, turn-off, subgiants) metal-poor stars. We show that the analysis of the permitted OI triplet and FeII lines leads to a plateau in [OI/FeII] over the broad metallicity range -3.2 < [Fe/H] < -0.7, independent of temperature and metallicity, and with a star-to-star scatter of only 0.1 dex. The Li abundance in halo stars is also found to be independent of temperature and metallicity (Spit…
We present a chemical composition analysis of a sample of 20 giant branch stars in the "CN-bimodal" globular cluster M4 observed using high resolution echelle spectrographs at Lick & McDonald Observatories. M4, a mildly metal-poor ([Fe/H] ~ -1.1) globular cluster, is the nearest, brightest, and one of the most accessible targets to study the CN-bimodal phenomena. The abundance analysis includes elements Fe, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, and Ni as well as elements that are diagnostics of proton-capture nucleosynthesis, O, Na, Mg, and Al, in addition to r-process and s-process elements, Eu and Ba.
We present the results of detailed spectroscopic abundance analyses for 18 elements in 31 nearby stars with planets. The resulting abundances are combined with other similar studies of nearby stars with planets and compared to a sample of nearby stars without detected planets. We find some evidence for abundance differences between these two samples for Al, Si and Ti. Some of our results are in conflict with a recent study of stars with planets in the SPOCS database. We encourage continued study of the abundance patterns of stars with planets to resolve these discrepancies.
We have performed a detailed oxygen abundance analysis of 23 metal-poor (-3.0<[Fe/H]<-0.3) unevolved halo stars and one giant through the OH bands in the near UV, using high-resolution echelle spectra. Oxygen is found to be overabundant with respect to iron in these stars, with the [O/Fe] ratio increasing from 0.6 to 1 between [Fe/H]=-1.5 and -3.0. The behavior of the oxygen overabundance with respect to [Fe/H] is similar to that seen in previous works based on OI IR triplet data (Abia and Rebolo 1989; Tomkin et al. 1992; Cavallo, Pilachowski, and Rebolo 1997). Contrary to the previously accep…
We investigate the debated "sulphur discrepancy" found among metal-poor stars of the Galactic halo with [Fe/H] < -2. This discrepancy stems in part from the use of two different sets of sulphur lines, the very weak triplet at 8694-95 A and the stronger triplet lines at 9212 - 9237 A. For three representative cases of metal-poor dwarf, turnoff and subgiant stars, we argue that the abundances from the 8694-95 lines have been overestimated which has led to a continually rising trend of [S/Fe] as metallicity decreases. Given that the near-IR region is subject to CCD fringing, these weak lines beco…
In this paper we present a study of chemical abundances in six star-forming regions. Stellar parameters and metallicities are derived using high-resolution, high S/N spectra of weak-line T-Tauri stars in each region. The results show that nearby star-forming regions have a very small abundance dispersion (only 0.033dex in [Fe/H]). The average metallicity found is slightly below that of the Sun, although compatible with solar once the errors are taken into account. The derived abundances for Si and Ni show that the observed stars have the abundances typical of Galactic thin disk stars of the sa…
We report on the chemical abundances of stars in the Carina dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) derived from low-resolution spectra. We have determined values of [Fe/H] for 52 stars from the reduced equivalent width of the Ca II infrared triplet lines. The Carina dSph has a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = -1.99 +/- 0.08 and an intrinsic metallicity dispersion 0.25 dex (1 sigma). By directly determining the chemical abundances of Carina stars through spectroscopy, we can overcome the age-metallicity degeneracy inherent in color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and determine its star-formation history with unp…
In this paper we report new observations and derive chemical abundances for a sample of 26 planetary nebulae (PN) located in the anticenter direction. Most of these nebulae are far away objects, located at galactocentric distances greater than about 8 kpc, so that they are particularly useful for the determination of the radial gradients at large distances from the galactic center. A comparison of the present results with previously determined abundances suggests that the radial abundance gradients flatten out at distances larger than about 10 kpc from the center.
We report the results of a non-LTE Fe, O and Mg abundance analysis of the carbon-nitrogen-rich ultra-metal-poor giants CS29498--043 and CS22949--037. The abundance of oxygen has been derived from measurements of the oxygen triplet at 7771-5 A in high resolution spectra obtained with KeckI/HIRES and the forbidden line [OI] 6300 A detected in the TNG/SARG spectra of CS29498-043. Detailed non-LTE analysis of Fe lines has provided reliable stellar parameters which, however, do not resolve the oxygen abundance conflict as derived from the OI 7771-5 A triplet and the [OI] 6300 A forbidden lines. We …
We present chemical abundances in a sample of luminous cool stars located within 30 pc of the Galactic Center. Abundances of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, calcium, and iron were derived from high-resolution infrared spectra in the H- and K-bands. The abundance results indicate that both [O/Fe] and [Ca/Fe] are enhanced respectively by averages of +0.2 and +0.3 dex, relative to either the Sun or the Milky Way disk at near solar Fe abundances. The Galactic Center stars show a nearly uniform and nearly solar iron abundance. The mean value of A(Fe) = 7.59 +- 0.06 agrees well with previous work. The tot…
We present a detailed abundance analysis of 8 stars selected as extremely metal poor candidates from the Hamburg/ESO Survey (HES). For comparison, we have also analysed 3 extremely metal-poor candidates from the HK survey, and 3 additional bright metal-poor stars. With this work, we have doubled the number of extremely metal-poor stars ([Fe/H]$\le 3.0$) with high-precision abundance analyses. Our sample of extremely metal-poor candidates from the HES contains 3 stars with [Fe/H] $\le -3.0$, 3 more with [Fe/H]$\le -2.8$, and 2 stars that are only slightly more metal rich. Thus, the chain of pro…
This paper presents the results of a detailed theoretical investigation of the impact of non-LTE effects and of granulation inhomogeneities on the derived iron and oxygen abundances in the metal-poor halo subgiant HD140283. Our analysis is based on both the `classical' one-dimensional (1D) stellar atmosphere models and on the new generation of three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamical models. We find that the non-LTE effects on the iron abundance derived from Fe {\sc i} lines are very important, amounting to ${\sim}0.9$ dex and to ${\sim}0.6$ dex in the 3D and 1D cases, respectively. On the other …
