Based on the spectrum fitting method applied to CI 5380, NI 7486, and OI 6156-8 lines, we determined the abundances of C, N, and O for 100 mostly A-type main-sequence stars (late B through early F at 11000K>Teff>7000K) comprising normal stars as well as non-magnetic chemically peculiar (CP) stars in the projected rotational velocity range of 0km/s<vsini<100km/s, where our aim was to investigate the abundance anomalies of these elements in terms of mutual correlation, dependence upon stellar parameters, and difference between normal and CP stars. We found that CNO are generally underabundant (relative to the standard star Procyon) typically by several tenths dex to ~1dex for almost all stars (regardless of CP or normal), though those classified as peculiar (Am or HgMn) tend to show larger underabundance, especially for C in late Am stars and for N in HgMn stars of late B-type, for which deficiency amounts even up to ~2dex. While the behaviors of these three elements are qualitatively similar to each other, the quantitative extent of peculiarity (or the vulnerability to the physical process causing anomaly) tends to follow the inequality relation of C>N>O. Regarding the considerable star-to-star dispersion observed at any Teff, the most important cause is presumably the difference in rotational velocity. These observational facts appear to be more or less favorably compared with the recent theoretical calculations based on the model of atomic diffusion and envelope mixing.
Nitrogen abundances and carbon isotope ratios (12C/13C) in the atmospheres of red giants are known to be influenced by dredge-up of H-burning products and serve as useful probes to study the nature of evolution-induced envelope mixing. We determined the [N/Fe] and 12C/13C ratios for 239 late-G/early-K giant stars by applying the spectrum-fitting technique to the 12CN and 13CN lines in the ~8002-8005A region, with an aim to investigate how these quantities are related to other similar mixing-affected indicators which were already reported in our previous work. It was confirmed that [N/Fe] value…
Aims. We report the results of a novel determination of the solar oxygen abundance using spatially resolved observations and inversions. We seek to derive the photospheric solar oxygen abundance with a method that is robust against uncertainties in the model atmosphere. Methods. We use observations with spatial resolution obtained at the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) to derive the oxygen abundance at 40 different spatial positions in granules and intergranular lanes. We first obtain a model for each location by inverting the Fe I lines with the NICOLE inversion code. These models are then integ…
Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen are the fourth, sixth, and third most abundant elements in the Sun. Their abundances remain hotly debated due to the so-called solar modelling problem that has persisted for almost $20$ years. We revisit this issue by presenting a homogeneous analysis of $408$ molecular lines across $12$ diagnostic groups, observed in the solar intensity spectrum. Using a realistic 3D radiative-hydrodynamic model solar photosphere and LTE (local thermodynamic equilibrium) line formation, we find $\logε_{C} = 8.47\pm0.02$, $\logε_{N} = 7.89\pm0.04$, and $\logε_{O} = 8.70\pm0.04$. Th…
Our recent re-analysis of the solar photospheric spectra with non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) models resulted in higher metal abundances compared to previous works. When applying the new chemical abundances to Standard Solar Model calculations, the new composition resolves the long-standing discrepancies with independent constraints on the solar structure from helioseismology. Critical to the determination of chemical abundances is the accuracy of the atomic data, specially the $f$-values, used in the radiative transfer models. Here we describe in detail the calculations of $f$-v…
We have computed a grid of hydrostatic spherical COMARCS models for C stars covering metallicities from [Z/H]=0 to -2 and values of the carbon excess [C-O] from 6.41 to 9.15, plus some temperature sequences, where the amount of oxygen and nitrogen is increased relative to a scaled solar element mixture. Such abundance variations may appear during the late stages of stellar evolution. Our study covers changes of [O/Z] and [N/Z] going up to +0.5. Based on the atmospheric structures we have calculated synthetic spectra and photometry for all of the models in a consistent way. The sequences with c…
Exploring the Milky Way stellar disk. Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, potassium, and copper abundances for 714 F- and G-type dwarf stars in the solar neighbourhood
Observations have revealed that the elemental abundances of carbon and oxygen in the warm molecular layers of some protoplanetary disks are depleted compared to those is the interstellar medium by a factor of ~10-100. Meanwhile, little is known about nitrogen. To investigate the time evolution of nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen elemental abundances in disks, we develop a one-dimensional model that incorporates dust settling, turbulent diffusion of dust and ices, as well as gas-ice chemistry including the chemistry driven by stellar UV/X-rays and the galactic cosmic rays. We find that gaseous CO i…
Motivated by the controversy over the surface metallicity of the Sun, we present a re-analysis of the solar photospheric oxygen (O) abundance. New atomic models of O and Ni are used to perform Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) calculations with 1D hydrostatic (MARCS) and 3D hydrodynamical (Stagger and Bifrost) models. The Bifrost 3D MHD simulations are used to quantify the influence of the chromosphere. We compare the 3D NLTE line profiles with new high-resolution, R = 700 000, spatially-resolved spectra of the Sun obtained using the IAG FTS instrument. We find that the O I lines at 7…
Chemical abundances studies of cataclysmic variables have revealed high nitrogen to carbon ratios in a number of of cataclysmic variable white dwarfs (based on ultraviolet emission and absorption lines), as well as possible carbon deficiency in many secondaries (based on the absence of infrared CO absorption lines). These indicate that the accreted material on the white dwarf surface and the donor itself might be contaminated with CNO processed material. To further understand the origin of this abundance anomaly, there is a need for further chemical abundance study. In the present work, we car…
Element abundance ratios of magnesium to neon (Mg/Ne) and neon to oxygen (Ne/O) in the transition region of the quiet Sun have been derived by re-assessing previously published data from the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory in the light of new atomic data. The quiet Sun Mg/Ne ratio is important for assessing the effect of magnetic activity on the mechanism of the first ionization potential (FIP) effect, while the Ne/O ratio can be used to infer the solar photospheric abundance of neon, which can not be measured directly. The average Mg/Ne ratio is…
We present new constraints on gas-phase C, N, and O abundances in the molecular layer of the IM Lup protoplanetary disk. Building on previous physical and chemical modeling of this disk, we use new ALMA observations of C$_2$H to constrain the C/O ratio in the molecular layer to be $\sim0.8$, i.e., higher than the solar value of $\sim0.54$. We use archival ALMA observations of HCN and H$^{13}$CN to show that no depletion of N is required (assuming an interstellar abundance of $7.5\times10^{-5}$ per H). These results suggest that an appreciable fraction of O is sequestered in water ice in large …