The solar chemical composition is an important ingredient in our understanding of the formation, structure and evolution of both the Sun and our solar system. Furthermore, it is an essential reference standard against which the elemental contents of other astronomical objects are compared. In this review we evaluate the current understanding of the solar photospheric composition. In particular, we present a re-determination of the abundances of nearly all available elements, using a realistic new 3-dimensional (3D), time-dependent hydrodynamical model of the solar atmosphere. We have carefully considered the atomic input data and selection of spectral lines, and accounted for departures from LTE whenever possible. The end result is a comprehensive and homogeneous compilation of the solar elemental abundances. Particularly noteworthy findings are significantly lower abundances of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and neon compared with the widely-used values of a decade ago. The new solar chemical composition is supported by a high degree of internal consistency between available abundance indicators, and by agreement with values obtained in the solar neighborhood and from the most pristine meteorites. There is, however, a stark conflict with standard models of the solar interior according to helioseismology, a discrepancy that has yet to find a satisfactory resolution.
We present a summary of the splinter session "Sun-like stars unlike the Sun" that was held on 09 June 2016 as part of the Cool Stars 19 conference (Uppsala, Sweden). We discussed the main limitations (in the theory and observations) in the derivation of very precise stellar parameters and chemical abundances of Sun-like stars. We outlined and discussed the most important and most debated processes that can produce chemical peculiarities in solar-type stars. Finally, in an open discussion between all the participants we tried to identify new pathways and prospects towards future solutions of th…
There are two possible mechanisms to imprint planet signatures in the chemical composition of Sun-like stars: i) dust condensation at the early stages of planet formation, causing a depletion of refractory elements in the gas accreted by the star in the late stages of its formation; ii) planet engulfment, enriching the host star in lithium and refractory elements. We discuss both planet signatures, the influence of galactic chemical evolution, and the importance of binaries composed of stellar twins as laboratories to verify abundance anomalies imprinted by planets.
The Sun's chemical peculiarity: disentangling Galactic chemical evolution and planetary engulfment in solar twins
Monash University（莫纳什大学）；OzGrav: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery（澳大利亚研究委员会引力波发现卓越中心）；National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院国家天文台）；Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute（平顿研究所计算天体物理中心）；Tsinghua University（清华大学）
Stellar members of binary systems are formed from the same material, therefore they should be chemically identical. However, recent high-precision studies have unveiled chemical differences between the two members of binary pairs composed by Sun-like stars. The very existence of these chemically inhomogeneous binaries represents one of the most contradictory examples in stellar astrophysics and source of tension between theory and observations. It is still unclear whether the abundance variations are the result of chemical inhomogeneities in the protostellar gas clouds or instead if they are d…
The possibility that the chemical composition of the solar atmosphere has been affected by radiative dust cleansing of late and weak accretion flows by the proto-sun itself, is explored. Estimates, using semi-analytical methods and numerical simulations of the motion of dust grains in a collapsing non-magnetic and non-rotating gas sphere with a central light source are made, to model possible dust-cleansing effects. Our calculations indicate that the amounts of cleansed material may well be consistent with the abundance differences observed for the Sun when compared with solar-like stars and w…
Review of the history of solar system elemental abundances with a new assessment of elemental and isotopic abundances from CI-chondrites and solar data. Solar elemental abundances, or solar system elemental abundances refer to the complement of chemical elements in the entire solar system. The sun contains more than 99-percent of the mass in the solar system and therefore the composition of the sun is a good proxy for the composition of the overall solar system. The solar system composition can be taken as the overall composition of the molecular cloud within the interstellar medium from which…
The compositions of stars are a critical diagnostic tool for many topics in astronomy such as the evolution of our Galaxy, the formation of planets, and the uniqueness of the Sun. Previous spectroscopic measurements indicate a large intrinsic variation in the elemental abundance patterns of stars with similar overall metal content. However, systematic errors arising from inaccuracies in stellar models are known to be a limiting factor in such studies, and thus it is uncertain to what extent the observed diversity of stellar abundance patterns is real. Here we report the abundances of 30 elemen…
We benchmark new atomic data against a selection of irradiances obtained from medium-resolution quiet Sun spectra in the EUV, from 60 to 1040 Å. We use as a baseline the irradiances measured during solar minimum on 2008 April 14 by the prototype (PEVE) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE). We take into account some inconsistencies in the PEVE data, using flight EVE data and irradiances we obtained from Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO) Coronal Diagnostics Spectrometer (CDS) data. We perform a differential emission measure and find overall exc…
The elemental composition in the coronae of low-activity solar-like stars appears to be related to fundamental stellar properties such as rotation, surface gravity, and spectral type. Here we use full-Sun observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, to show that when the Sun is observed as a star, the variation of coronal composition is highly correlated with a proxy for solar activity, the F10.7 cm radio flux, and therefore with the solar cycle phase. Similar cyclic variations should therefore be detectable spectroscopically in X-ray observations of solar analogs. The plasma composition …
We study with unprecedented detail the chemical composition and stellar parameters of the solar twin 18 Sco in a strictly differential sense relative to the Sun. Our study is mainly based on high resolution (R ~ 110 000) high S/N (800-1000) VLT UVES spectra, which allow us to achieve a precision of about 0.005 dex in differential abundances. The effective temperature and surface gravity of 18 Sco are Teff = 5823+/-6 K and log g = 4.45+/-0.02 dex, i.e., 18 Sco is 46+/-6 K hotter than the Sun and log g is 0.01+/-0.02 dex higher. Its metallicity is [Fe/H] = 0.054+/-0.005 dex and its microturbulen…
Planets form and obtain their compositions in disks of gas and dust around young stars. The chemical compositions of these planet-forming disks regulate all aspects of planetary compositions from bulk elemental inventories to access to water and reactive organics, i.e. a planet's hospitality to life and its chemical origins. Disk chemical structures are in their turn governed by a combination of {\it in situ} chemical processes, and inheritance of molecules from the preceding evolutionary stages of the star formation process. In this review we present our current understanding of the chemical …
We present a summary of main results from the studies performed in the series of papers "The chemical composition of the Orion star forming region". We reinvestigate the chemical composition of B-type stars in the Orion OB1 association by means of state-of-the-art stellar atmosphere codes, atomic models and techniques, and compare the resulting abundances with those obtained from the emission line spectra of the Orion nebula (M42), and recent determinations of the Solar chemical composition.
The Sun is used as the fundamental standard in chemical abundance studies, thus it is important to know whether the solar abundance pattern is representative of the solar neighborhood. Albeit at low precision (0.05 - 0.10 dex) the Sun seems to be a typical solar-metallicity disk star, at high precision (0.01 dex) its abundance pattern seems abnormal when compared to solar twins. The Sun shows a deficiency of refractory elements that could be due to the formation of terrestrial planets. The formation of giant planets may also introduce a signature in the chemical composition of stars. We discus…
The origin of small-scale interplanetary magnetic flux-ropes (SIMFRs) and the relationship between SIMFRs and magnetic clouds (MCs) are still controversial. In this study, two populations of SMIFRs were collected, i.e., SIMFRs originating from the Sun (SIMFR-SUN) and those originating from the solar wind (SIMFR-SW). We defined the SIMFR-SUN (SIMFR-SW) as the SMIFRs that include (exclude) the counter-streaming suprathermal electrons and stay away from (close to) the heliospheric current sheet. After fitting with force-free flux-rope model, 52 SIMFR-SUN and 57 SIMFR-SW events observed by Advance…
Motivated by the solar composition problem and by using the recently developed Linear Solar Model approach, we analyze the role of opacity and metals in the sun. After a brief discussion of the relation between the effects produced by a variation of composition and those produced by a modification of the radiative opacity, we calculate numerically the opacity kernels that, in a linear approximation, relate an arbitrary opacity variation to the corresponding modification of the solar observable properties. We use these opacity kernels to discuss the present constraints on opacity (and compositi…
The detailed chemical composition of the atmosphere AY Cet (HD 7672) is determined from a high-resolution spectrum in the optical region. The main atmospheric parameters and the abundances of 22 chemical elements, including key species such as 12C, 13C, N, and O, are determined. A differential line analysis gives T_eff=5080 K, log g=3.0, [Fe/H]=-0.33, [C/Fe]=-0.17, [N/Fe]=0.17, [O/Fe]=0.05, C/N=1.58, and 12C/13C=21. Despite the high chromospheric activity, the optical spectrum of AY Cet provides a chemical composition typical for first ascent giants after the first dredge-up.
The first massive stars triggered the onset of chemical evolution by releasing the first metals (elements heavier than helium) in the Universe. The nature of these stars and how the early chemical enrichment took place is still largely unknown. Rotational-induced mixing in the stellar interior can impact the nucleosynthesis during the stellar life of massive stars and lead to stellar ejecta having various chemical compositions. We present low and zero-metallicity 20, 25 and 40 $M_{\odot}$ stellar models with various initial rotation rates and assumptions for the nuclear reactions rates. With i…
We perform a quantitative analysis of the solar composition problem by using a statistical approach that allows us to combine the information provided by helioseimic and solar neutrino data in an effective way. We include in our analysis the helioseismic determinations of the surface helium abundance and of the depth of the convective envelope, the measurements of the $^7{\rm Be}$ and $^8{\rm B}$ neutrino fluxes, the sound speed profile inferred from helioseismic frequencies. We provide all the ingredients to describe how these quantities depend on the solar surface composition and to evaluate…
The composition, including the ionic charge states and elemental abundances of heavy elements, within interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) has tight correlations with their source regions and eruption processes. This can help analyze the eruption mechanisms and plasma origins of CMEs, and deepen our understanding of energetic solar activities. The active regions and quiet-Sun regions have different physical properties, thus from a statistical point of view, ICMEs originating from the two types of regions should exhibit different compositional characteristics. To demonstrate the differ…
We present a detailed analysis of seven young stars observed with the spectrograph SOPHIE at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence for which the chemical composition was incomplete or absent in the literature. For five stars, we derived the stellar parameters and chemical compositions using our automatic pipeline optimized for F, G, and K stars, while for the other two stars with high rotational velocity, we derived the stellar parameters by using other information (parallax), and performed a line-by-line analysis. Chromospheric emission-line fluxes from CaII are obtained for all targets. The ste…
The region in the HR-diagram where the main sequence intersects the classical instability strip hosts A- and F-type stars exhibiting a rich variety of physical phenomena, such as pulsations on various time scales and chemical peculiarities. We aim to investigate the occurrence of these phenomena among suspected binary systems in this region of the HR-diagram and their mutual interactions.
We present a line-by-line differential analysis of a sample of 16 planet hosting stars and 68 comparison stars using high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra gathered using Keck. We obtained accurate stellar parameters and high-precision relative chemical abundances with average uncertainties in \teff, \logg, [Fe/H] and [X/H] of 15 K, 0.034 [cgs], 0.012 dex and 0.025 dex, respectively. For each planet host, we identify a set of comparison stars and examine the abundance differences (corrected for Galactic chemical evolution effect) as a function of the dust condensation temperature,…
Photospheric parameters and chemical composition are determined for the single-lined chromospherically active RS CVn-type star 29 Draconis (HD 160538). From the high resolution spectra obtained on the Nordic Optical Telescope, abundances of 22 chemical elements, including the key elements such as 12C, 13C, N and O, were investigated. The differential line analysis with the MARCS model atmospheres gives Teff=4720 K, log g=2.5, Fe/H]=-0.20, [C/Fe]=-0.14, [N/Fe]=0.08, [O/Fe]=-0.04, C/N=2.40, 12C/13C=16. The low value of the 12C/13C ratio gives a hint that extra mixing processes in low-mass chromo…
The Sun provides a standard reference against which we compare the chemical abundances found anywhere else in the Universe. Nevertheless, there is not a unique 'solar' composition, since the chemical abundances found in the solar interior, the photosphere, the upper atmosphere, or the solar wind, are not exactly the same. The composition of the solar photosphere, usually preferred as a reference, changes with time due to diffusion, convection, and probably accretion. In addition, we do not know the solar photospheric abundances, inferred from the analysis of the solar spectrum using model atmo…
The serendipitous discovery by Preston and colleagues of the neutron-capture-enhanced RR Lyrae variable star TY Gru (a.k.a. CS 22881-071 in the "HK" survey of very metal-poor halo stars) has resulted in a growing set of initiatives on the chemical compositions of RR Lyrae stars and their application to broader topics in Galactic halo structure. Here we summarize the main aspects of our work on TY Gru, including a new discussion of our search for possible orbital motion of this star around a putative unseen companion. Then we describe a few of the results of a newly-completed intensive spectros…
The possibility that the solar chemical composition, as well as the similar composition of the rich open cluster M67, have been affected by dust cleansing of the pre-solar/pre-cluster cloud, due to the radiative forces from bright early-type stars in its neighbourhood, is explored. Estimates, using semi-analytical methods and essentially based on momentum conservation, are made of possible dust-cleansing effects. Our calculations indicate that the amounts of cleansed neutral gas are limited to a relatively thin shell surrounding the HII region around the early-type stars. It seems possible tha…
Photospheric parameters and chemical composition are determined for the single-lined chromospherically active RS CVn-type star λ And (HD 222107). From the high resolution spectra obtained on the Nordic Optical Telescope, abundances of 22 chemical elements and isotopes, including such key elements as 12C, 13C, N and O, were investigated. The differential line analysis with the MARCS model atmospheres gives T eff=4830 K, log g=2.8, [Fe/H]=-0.53, [C/Fe]=0.09, [N/Fe]=0.35, [O/Fe]=0.45, C/N=2.21, 12C/13C = 14. The value of 12C/13C ratio for a star of the RS CVn-type is determined for the first time…
The chemical composition of the Sun is requested in the context of various studies in astrophysics, among them in the calculation of the standard solar models (SSMs), which describe the evolution of the Sun from the pre-main-sequence to its present age. In this work, we provide a critical re-analysis of the solar chemical abundances and corresponding SSMs. For the photospheric values, we employ new high-quality solar observational data collected with the IAG facility, state-of-the art non-equilibrium modelling, new oscillator strengths, and different atmospheric models, including the MARCS mod…
Exploring the Sun's birth radius and the distribution of planet building blocks in the Milky Way galaxy: A multi-zone Galactic chemical evolution approach
DY Cen has shown a steady fading of its visual light by about 1 magnitude in the last 40 years suggesting a secular increase in its effective temperature. We have conducted non-LTE and LTE abundance analyses to determine the star's effective temperature, surface gravity, and chemical composition using high-resolution spectra obtained over two decades. The derived stellar parameters for three epochs suggest that DY Cen has evolved at a constant luminosity and has become hotter by about 5000 K in 23 years. We show that the derived abundances remain unchanged for the three epochs. The derived abu…
Abundances of 22 chemical elements, including the key elements and isotopes such as 12C/13C, N and O, are investigated in the spectrum of 33 Psc, a single-lined RS CVn-type binary of low magnetic activity. The high resolution spectra were observed on the Nordic Optical Telescope and analyzed with the MARCS model atmospheres. The following main parameters have been determined: T_eff = 4750 K, log g = 2.8, [Fe/H] = -0.09, [C/Fe] = -0.04, [N/Fe] = 0.23, [O/Fe] = 0.05, C/N = 2.14, 12C/13C = 30, which show the first-dredge-up mixing signatures and no extra-mixing.
The results of a comparative analysis of the elemental abundances in the atmospheres of 14 red giants with high Galactic space velocities are presented. For almost all of the chemical elements considered, the their abundance trends with metallicity correspond to those constructed for thick-disk dwarfs. In the case of sodium, the main factor affecting the [Na/Fe] abundance in the stellar atmosphere for red giants is the surface gravity that characterizes the degree of development of the convective envelope. The difference between the [Na/Fe] abundances in the atmospheres of thin-and thick-disk …
The rich open cluster M67 is known to have a chemical composition close to solar, and an age around 4Gyr. It thus offers the opportunity to check our understanding of the physics and the evolution of solar-type stars in a cluster environment. We present the first spectroscopic study at high resolution, R~50,000, of the potentially best solar twin, M67-1194, identified among solar-like stars in M67. Based on a pre-selection of solar-twin candidates performed at medium resolution by Pasquini et al. (2008), we explore the chemical-abundance similarities and differences between M67-1194 and the Su…
We re-evaluate the abundances of the elements in the Sun from copper ($Z=29$) to thorium ($Z=90$). Our results are mostly based on neutral and singly-ionised lines in the solar spectrum. We use the latest 3D hydrodynamic solar model atmosphere, and in a few cases also correct for departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) using non-LTE (NLTE) calculations performed in 1D. In order to minimise statistical and systematic uncertainties, we make stringent line selections, employ the highest-quality observational data and carefully assess oscillator strengths, hyperfine constants and iso…
We used integrated-light medium-resolution spectra of six Galactic globular clusters and model stellar atmospheres to carry out population synthesis and to derive chemical composition and age of the clusters. We used medium-resolution spectra of globular clusters published by Schiavon et al. (2005), as well as our long-slit observations with the 1.93 m telescope of the Haute Provence Observatory. The observed spectra were fitted to the theoretical ones interactively. As an initial approach, we used masses, radii and log g of stars in the clusters corresponding to the best fitting isochrones in…
We present chemical abundances for 17 elements in a sample of 11 red giant branch stars in NGC 6362 from UVES spectra. NGC 6362 is one of the least massive globulars where multiple populations have been detected, yet its detailed chemical composition has not been investigated so far. NGC 6362 turns out to be a metal-intermediate ([Fe/H]=-1.07\pm0.01 dex) cluster, with its α- and Fe-peak elements content compatible with that observed in clusters with similar metallicity. It also displays an enhancement in its s-process element abundances. Among the light elements involved in the multiple popula…
We perform a Bayesian grid-based analysis of the solar l=0,1,2 and 3 p modes obtained via BiSON in order to deliver the first Bayesian asteroseismic analysis of the solar composition problem. We do not find decisive evidence to prefer either of the contending chemical compositions, although the revised solar abundances (AGSS09) are more probable in general. We do find indications for systematic problems in standard stellar evolution models, unrelated to the consequences of inadequate modelling of the outer layers on the higher-order modes. The seismic observables are best fit by solar models t…
Little is known about the origin of the fastest stars in the Galaxy. Our understanding of the Milky Way and surrounding dwarf galaxies chemical evolution history allows us to use the chemical composition of a star to investigate its origin, and say whether a star was formed in-situ or was accreted. However, the fastest stars, the hypervelocity stars, are young and massive and their chemical composition has not yet been analyzed. Though it is difficult to analyze the chemical composition of a massive young star, we are well versed in the analysis of late-type stars. We have used high-resolution…
We present stellar parameters of 19 K-type giants and their abundances of 13 chemical elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Sc, Si, Ti and V), selected from two moving groups, covering the metallicity range of -0.6 < [Fe/H] < 0.2, based on high resolution spectra. Most elemental abundances show similar trends with previous studies except for Al, Na and Ba, which are affected by evolution seriously. The abundance ratios of [Na/Mg] increase smoothly with higher [Mg/H] and [Al/Mg] decrease slightly with increasing [Mg/H]. [Mg/Ba] show distinction between these two moving groups which is ma…
Stars in open clusters are expected to share an identical abundance pattern. Establishing the level of chemical homogeneity in a given open cluster deserves further study as it is the basis of the concept of chemical tagging to unravel the history of the Milky Way. M67 is particularly interesting given its solar metallicity and age as well as being a dense cluster environment. We conducted a strictly line-by-line differential chemical abundance analysis of two solar twins in M67: M67-1194 and M67-1315. Stellar atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances were obtained with high precision us…
We observed 6 He-clump stars of the intermediate-age stellar cluster Gaia1 with the MIKE/MAGELLAN spectrograph. A possible extra-galactic origin of this cluster, recently discovered thanks to the first data release of the ESA Gaia mission, has been suggested, based on its orbital parameters. Abundances for Fe, alpha, proton- and neutron-capture elements have been obtained. We find no evidence of intrinsic abundance spreads. The iron abundance is solar ([FeI/H]=+0.00 +-0.01; sigma = 0.03 dex). All the other abundance ratios are, by and large, solar-scaled, similar to the Galactic thin disk and …
Fast (>700 km/s) and slow (~400 km/s) winds stream from the Sun, permeate the heliosphere and influence the near-Earth environment. While the fast wind is known to emanate primarily from polar coronal holes, the source of the slow wind remains unknown. Here we identify possible sites of origin using a slow solar wind source map of the entire Sun, which we construct from specially designed, full- disk observations from the Hinode satellite, and a magnetic field model. Our map provides a full-Sun observation that combines three key ingredients for identifying the sources: velocity, plasma compos…
The chemical composition of stars in open clusters provides the best information on the chemical evolution of stars via comparison of the main sequence stars with the evolved giants. This is a case study of the abundances in the dwarfs and giants in the old, open cluster, NGC 752. It is also a pilot program for automated abundance determinations, including equivalent width measurements, stellar parameter determinations, and abundance analysis. We have found abundances of 31 element-ion combinations in 23 dwarfs and 6 giants. The mean cluster abundance of Fe is solar with [Fe/H]$=-0.01\pm0.06$ …
In this study we present abundances of 12^C, 13^C, N, O and up to 26 other chemical elements in two first ascent giants and two core-helium-burning 'clump' stars of the open cluster NGC 2506. Abundances of carbon were derived using the C_2 Swan (0,1) band head at 5635.5 A. The wavelength interval 7940-8130 A, with strong CN features, was analysed in order to determine nitrogen abundances and carbon isotope ratios. The oxygen abundances were determined from the [O I] line at 6300 A. NGC 2506 was found to have a mean [Fe/H]=-0.24 +- 0.05 (standard deviation). Compared with the Sun and other dwar…
The dependency of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation on chemical composition at different wavelengths is assessed via direct detailed abundance analysis of Galactic and Magellanic Cepheids, as derived from high resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra. Our measurements span one order of magnitude in iron content and allow to rule out at the ~ 9 sigma level the universality of the Period-Luminosity Relation in the V band, with metal rich stars being fainter than metal poor ones by ~0.3 mag. The dependency is less pronounced in the K band. Its magnitude and statistical significance decisivel…
We discuss a chemical evolution model with Z-dependent yields that reproduces the O/H, C/H, and C/O gradients of the Galactic disk and the chemical history of the solar vicinity. The model fits the H, He, C, and O abundances derived from recombination lines of the HII region M17 (including the fraction of C and O atoms embedded in dust); the protosolar H, He, C, O, and Fe abundances; and the C/O-O/H, C/Fe-Fe/H, and O/Fe-Fe/H relations derived from stars of the solar vicinity. The agreement of the model with the protosolar abundances at the Sun-formation time implies that the Sun originated fro…
Similarities in the chemical composition of two of the closest Milky Way satellites, namely the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf galaxy, have been proposed in the literature, suggesting similar chemical enrichment histories between the two galaxies. This proposition, however, rests on different abundance analyses, which likely introduce various systematics that hamper a fair comparison among the different data sets. In order to bypass this issue (and highlight real similarities and differences between their abundance patterns), we present a homogeneous chemical anal…
The Small Magellanic Cloud is a close, irregular galaxy that has experienced a complex star formation history due to the strong interactions occurred both with the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Galaxy. Despite its importance, the chemical composition of its stellar populations older than 1-2 Gyr is still poorly investigated. I present the first results of a spectroscopic survey of 200 Small Magellanic Cloud giant stars performed with FLAMES@VLT. The derived metallicity distribution peaks at [Fe/H] -0.9/-1.0 dex, with a secondary peak at [Fe/H] -0.6 dex. All these stars show [alpha/Fe] abundan…
Past studies have already shown that stars in open clusters are chemically homogeneous (e.g. De Silva et al. 2006, 2007 and 2009). These results support the idea that stars born from the same giant molecular cloud should have the same chemical composition. In this context, the chemical tagging technique was proposed by Freeman & Bland-Hawthorn 2002. The principle is to recover disrupted stellar clusters by looking only to the stellar chemical composition. In order to evaluate the feasibility of this approach, it is necessary to test if we can distinguish between stars born from different molec…
Ultra-massive white dwarfs ($ 1.05 \rm M_\odot \lesssim M_{WD}$) are particularly interesting objects that allow us to study extreme astrophysical phenomena such as type Ia supernovae explosions and merger events. Traditionally, ultra-massive white dwarfs are thought to harbour oxygen-neon (ONe) cores. However, recent theoretical studies and new observations suggest that some ultra-massive white dwarfs could harbour carbon-oxygen (CO) cores. Although several studies have attempted to elucidate the core composition of ultra-massive white dwarfs, to date, it has not been possible to distinguish …
The chemical composition of high-mass protostars reflects the physical evolution associated with different stages of star formation. In this study, the molecular inventory of the forming high-mass star AFGL 4176 is studied in detail at high angular resolution (~0.35 arcsec) using ALMA. This high resolution makes it possible to separate the emission associated with the inner hot envelope and disk around the forming star from that of its cool outer envelope. In addition, the high sensitivity of ALMA makes it possible to identify weak and optically thin lines and allows for many isotopologues to …
We present and discuss medium resolution (R $\sim$ 13000), high signal-to-noise ($\mathrm{\frac{S}{N}} \sim 100$), spectroscopic observations in the field of the open clusters NGC\,6940 and Tombaugh\,5. Spectra were recorded for seven candidate red giant stars in both clusters. For the latter we present the very first chemical abundance analysis. We derive radial velocities for all the stars in NGC\,6940, confirming membership to the cluster for all of them, while on the same ground we exclude two stars in To\,5. We perform a chemical abundance analysis of different atomic species, in particul…
Chemical evolution is essential in understanding the origins of life. We present a theory for the evolution of molecule masses and show that small molecules grow by random diffusion and large molecules by a preferential attachment process leading eventually to life's molecules. It reproduces correctly the distribution of molecules found via mass spectroscopy for the Murchison meteorite and estimates the start of chemical evolution back to 12.8 billion years following the birth of stars and supernovae. From the Frontier mass between the random and preferential attachment dynamics the birth time…
Type Ia supernovae are bright stellar explosions distinguished by standardizable light curves that allow for their use as distance indicators for cosmological studies. Despite the highly successful use of these events in this capacity, many fundamental questions remain. Contemporary research investigates how properties of the progenitor system that follow from the host galaxy such as composition and age influence the brightness of an event with the goal of better understanding and assessing the intrinsic scatter in the brightness. We provide an overview of these supernovae and proposed progeni…
