Browsing by Subject "stars: population ii"
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Item Characterizing The Chemistry Of The Milky Way Stellar Halo: Detailed Chemical Analysis Of A Metal-Poor Stellar Stream(2010-03) Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, Christopher; Thompson, Ian B.; Preston, George W.; Shectman, Stephen A.; Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, ChristopherWe present the results of a detailed abundance analysis of one of the confirmed building blocks of the Milky Way stellar halo, a kinematically coherent metal-poor stellar stream. We have obtained high-resolution and high signal-to-noise spectra of 12 probable stream members using the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and the 2dCoude spectrograph on the Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. We have derived abundances or upper limits for 51 species of 46 elements in each of these stars. The stream members show a range of metallicity (-3.4 < [Fe/H] < -1.5) but are otherwise chemically homogeneous, with the same star-to-star dispersion in [X/Fe] as the rest of the halo. This implies that, in principle, a significant fraction of the Milky Way stellar halo could have formed from accreted systems like the stream. The stream stars show minimal evolution in the a or Fe-group elements over the range of metallicity. This stream is enriched with material produced by the main and weak components of the rapid neutron-capture process and shows no evidence for enrichment by the slow neutron-capture process.Item Characterizing The Heavy Elements In Globular Cluster M22 And An Empirical S-Process Abundance Distribution Derived From The Two Stellar Groups(2011-11) Roederer, Ian U.; Marino, A. F.; Sneden, Christopher; Sneden, ChristopherWe present an empirical s-process abundance distribution derived with explicit knowledge of the r-process component in the low-metallicity globular cluster M22. We have obtained high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra for six red giants in M22 using the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. In each star we derive abundances for 44 species of 40 elements, including 24 elements heavier than zinc (Z = 30) produced by neutron-capture reactions. Previous studies determined that three of these stars (the "r + s group") have an enhancement of s-process material relative to the other three stars (the "r-only group"). We confirm that the r + s group is moderately enriched in Pb relative to the r-only group. Both groups of stars were born with the same amount of r-process material, but s-process material was also present in the gas from which the r + s group formed. The s-process abundances are inconsistent with predictions for asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with M <= 3M(circle dot) and suggest an origin in more massive AGB stars capable of activating the Ne-22(alpha, n)Mg-25 reaction. We calculate the s-process "residual" by subtracting the r-process pattern in the r-only group from the abundances in the r + s group. In contrast to previous r- and s-process decompositions, this approach makes no assumptions about the r- and s-process distributions in the solar system and provides a unique opportunity to explore s-process yields in a metal-poor environment.Item The Chemical Abundances Of Stars In The Halo (CASH) Project. II. A Sample Of 14 Extremely Metal-Poor Stars(2011-11) Hollek, Julie K.; Frebel, Anna; Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, Christopher; Shetrone, Matthew; Beers, Timothy C.; Kang, Sung-Ju; Thom, Christopher; Hollek, Julie K.; Sneden, Christopher; Shetrone, MatthewWe present a comprehensive abundance analysis of 20 elements for 16 new low-metallicity stars from the Chemical Abundances of Stars in the Halo (CASH) project. The abundances have been derived from both Hobby-Eberly Telescope High Resolution Spectrograph snapshot spectra (R similar to 15,000) and corresponding high-resolution (R similar to 35,000) Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectra. The stars span a metallicity range from [Fe/H] from -2.9 to -3.9, including four new stars with [Fe/H] < -3.7. We find four stars to be carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, confirming the trend of increasing [C/Fe] abundance ratios with decreasing metallicity. Two of these objects can be classified as CEMP-no stars, adding to the growing number of these objects at [Fe/H]< -3. We also find four neutron-capture-enhanced stars in the sample, one of which has [Eu/Fe] of 0.8 with clear r-process signatures. These pilot sample stars are the most metal-poor ([Fe/H] less than or similar to -3.0) of the brightest stars included in CASH and are used to calibrate a newly developed, automated stellar parameter and abundance determination pipeline. This code will be used for the entire similar to 500 star CASH snapshot sample. We find that the pipeline results are statistically identical for snapshot spectra when compared to a traditional, manual analysis from a high-resolution spectrum.Item The Chemical Compositions of Variable Field Horizontal-Branch Stars: RR Lyrae Stars(2011-12) For, Bi-Qing; Sneden, Christopher; Preston, George W.; For, Bi-Qing; Sneden, ChristopherWe present a detailed abundance study of 11 RR Lyrae ab-type variables: AS Vir, BS Aps, CD Vel, DT Hya, RV Oct, TY Gru, UV Oct, V1645 Sgr, WY Ant, XZ Aps, and Z Mic. High-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio echelle spectra of these variables were obtained with the 2.5 m du Pont telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory. We obtained more than 2300 spectra, roughly 200 spectra per star, distributed more or less uniformly throughout the pulsational cycles. A new method has been developed to obtain the initial effective temperatures of our sample stars at a specific pulsational phase. We find that the abundance ratios are generally consistent with those of similar metallicity field stars in different evolutionary states and throughout the pulsational cycles for RR Lyrae stars. TY Gru remains the only n-capture enriched star among the RRab in our sample. A new relation is found between microturbulence and effective temperature among stars of the horizontal-branch population. In addition, the variation of microturbulence as a function of phase is empirically shown to be similar to the theoretical variation. Finally, we conclude that the derived T-eff and log g values of our sample stars follow the general trend of a single mass evolutionary track.Item Chemical Signatures Of The First Galaxies: Criteria For One-Shot Enrichment(2012-11) Frebel, Anna; Bromm, Volker; Bromm, VolkerWe utilize metal-poor stars in the local, ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs; L-tot <= 10(5) L-circle dot) to empirically constrain the formation process of the first galaxies. Since UFDs have much simpler star formation histories than the halo of the Milky Way, their stellar populations should preserve the fossil record of the first supernova (SN) explosions in their long-lived, low-mass stars. Guided by recent hydrodynamical simulations of first galaxy formation, we develop a set of stellar abundance signatures that characterize the nucleosynthetic history of such an early system if it was observed in the present-day universe. Specifically, we argue that the first galaxies are the product of chemical "one-shot" events, where only one (long-lived) stellar generation forms after the first, Population III, SN explosions. Our abundance criteria thus constrain the strength of negative feedback effects inside the first galaxies. We compare the stellar content of UFDs with these one-shot criteria. Several systems (Ursa Major II, and also Coma Berenices, Bootes I, Leo IV, Segue 1) largely fulfill the requirements, indicating that their high-redshift predecessors did experience strong feedback effects that shut off star formation. We term the study of the entire stellar population of a dwarf galaxy for the purpose of inferring details about the nature and origin of the first galaxies "dwarf galaxy archaeology." This will provide clues to the connection of the first galaxies, the surviving, metal-poor dwarf galaxies, and the building blocks of the Milky Way.Item The End Of Nucleosynthesis: Production Of Lead And Thorium In The Early Galaxy(2009-06) Roederer, Ian U.; Kratz, Karl-Ludwig; Frebel, Anna; Christlieb, Norbert; Pfeiffer, Bernd; Cowan, John J.; Sneden, Christopher; Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, ChristopherWe examine the Pb and Th abundances in 27 metal-poor stars (-3.1 < [Fe/H] < -1.4) whose very heavy metal (Z > 56) enrichment was produced only by the rapid (r-) nucleosynthesis process. New abundances are derived from Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrograph, and Very Large Telescope/UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph spectra and combined with other measurements from the literature to form a more complete picture of nucleosynthesis of the heaviest elements produced in the r-process. In all cases, the abundance ratios among the rare earth elements and the third r-process peak elements considered (La, Eu, Er, Hf, and Ir) are constant and equivalent to the scaled solar system r-process abundance distribution. We compare the stellar observations with r-process calculations within the classical "waiting-point" approximation. In these computations a superposition of 15 weighted neutron-density components in the range 23 <= log n(n) <= 30 is fit to the r-process abundance peaks to successfully reproduce both the stable solar system isotopic distribution and the stable heavy element abundance pattern between Ba and U in low-metallicity stars. Under these astrophysical conditions, which are typical of the "main" r-process, we find very good agreement between the stellar Pb r-process abundances and those predicted by our model. For stars with anomalously high Th/Eu ratios (the so-called actinide boost), our observations demonstrate that any nucleosynthetic deviations from the main r-process affect-at most-only the elements beyond the third r-process peak, namely Pb, Th, and U. Our theoretical calculations also indicate that possible r-process abundance "losses" by nuclear fission are negligible for isotopes along the r-process path between Pb and the long-lived radioactive isotopes of Th and U.Item First Stars XVI. HST/STIS Abundances Of Heavy Elements In The Uranium-Rich Metal-Poor Star CS 31082-001(2013-02) Mello, C. Siqueira; Spite, M.; Barbuy, B.; Spite, F.; Caffau, E.; Hill, V.; Wanajo, S.; Primas, F.; Plez, B.; Cayrel, R.; Andersen, J.; Nordstrom, B.; Sneden, Christopher; Beers, T. C.; Bonifacio, P.; Francois, P.; Molaro, P.; Sneden, ChristopherContext. The origin and site(s) of the r-process nucleosynthesis is(are) still not known with certainty, but complete, detailed r-element abundances off er our best clues. The few extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars with large r-element excesses allow us to study the r-process signatures in great detail, with minimal interference from later stages of Galactic evolution. CS 31082-001 is an outstanding example of the information that can be gathered from these exceptional stars. Aims. Here we aim to complement our previous abundance determinations for third-peak r-process elements with new and improved results for elements of the first and second r-process peaks from near-UV HST/STIS and optical UVES spectra. These results should provide new insight into the nucleosynthesis of the elements beyond iron. Methods. The spectra were analyzed by a consistent approach based on an OSMARCS LTE model atmosphere and the Turbospectrum spectrum synthesis code to derive abundances of heavy elements in CS 31082-001, and using updated oscillator strengths from the recent literature. Synthetic spectra were computed for all lines of the elements of interest to check for proper line intensities and possible blends in these crowded spectra. Our new abundances were combined with the best previous results to provide reliable mean abundances for the first and second-peak r-process elements. Results. We present new abundances for 23 neutron-capture elements, 6 of which - Ge, Mo, Lu, Ta, W, and Re - have not been reported before. This makes CS 31082-001 the most completely studied r-II star, with abundances for a total of 37 neutron-capture elements. We also present the first NLTE + 3D abundance of lead in this star, further constraining the nature of the r-process.Item Granulation Signatures in the Spectrum of the Very Metal-Poor Red Giant HD 122563(2010-12) Ramirez, I.; Collet, R.; Lambert, David L.; Prieto, Carlos Allende; Asplund, M.; Lambert, D. L.A very high resolution (R = lambda/Delta lambda = 200,000), high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N similar or equal to 340) blue-green spectrum of the very metal-poor ([Fe/H] similar or equal to -2.6) red giant star HD 122563 has been obtained by us at McDonald Observatory. We measure the asymmetries and core wavelengths of a set of unblended Fe I lines covering a wide range of line strength. Line bisectors exhibit the characteristic C-shape signature of surface convection (granulation) and they span from about 100 m s(-1) in the strongest Fe I features to 800 m s(-1) in the weakest ones. Core wavelength shifts range from about -100 to -900 m s(-1), depending on line strength. In general, larger blueshifts are observed in weaker lines, but there is increasing scatter with increasing residual flux. Assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), we synthesize the same set of spectral lines using a state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic simulation for a stellar atmosphere of fundamental parameters similar to those of HD 122563. We find good agreement between model predictions and observations. This allows us to infer an absolute zero point for the line shifts and radial velocity. Moreover, it indicates that the structure and dynamics of the simulation are realistic, thus providing support to previous claims of large 3D-LTE corrections to elemental abundances and fundamental parameters of very metal-poor red giant stars obtained with standard 1D-LTE spectroscopic analyses, as suggested by the hydrodynamic model used here.Item HE 1327-2326, An Unevolved Star With Fe/H <-5.0. III. Does Its Atmosphere Reflect Its Natal Composition?(2009-06) Korn, A. J.; Richard, O.; Mashonkina, L.; Bessell, Michael S.; Frebel, Anna; Aoki, Wako; Frebel, AnnaBased on spectroscopic constraints derived from nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium line formation, we explore the likely range of stellar parameters (T-eff and log g) for the hyper-metal-poor (HMP) star HE 1327-2326. Combining the constraints from Balmer line profiles and the Ca I/II ionization equilibrium, a subgiant stage of evolution is indicated. This result is further supported by spectrophotometric observations of the Balmer jump. If a higher T-eff value was used (as favored by some photometric calibrations), the spectroscopic analysis would indicate a turnoff-point stage of evolution. Using a stellar-structure code that treats the effects of atomic diffusion throughout the star in detail, we evolve a low-mass model star to reach the Hertzsprung-Russell-diagram position of HE 1327-2326 after roughly 13 Gyr. While the surface abundances are modified significantly (by more than 1 dex for the case of uninhibited diffusion), such corrections cannot resolve the discrepancy between the abundance inferred from the nondetection of the Li I resonance line at 6707 angstrom and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe based primordial lithium abundance. As there are numerous processes that can destroy lithium, any cosmological interpretation of a lower-than-expected lithium abundance at the lowest metallicities will have to await sample sizes of unevolved HMP stars that are 1 order of magnitude larger. The situation remains equally inconclusive concerning atomic-diffusion corrections. Here, attempts have to be made to better constrain internal mixing processes, both observationally and by means of sophisticated modeling. With constraints on additional mixing processes taken from a recent globular-cluster study, the likeliest scenario is that HE 1327-2326's surface abundances have undergone mild depletion (of order 0.2 dex).Item Heavy-Element Dispersion In The Metal-Poor Globular Cluster M92(2011-07) Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, Christopher; Sneden, ChristopherDispersion among the light elements is common in globular clusters (GCs), while dispersion among heavier elements is less common. We present detection of r-process dispersion relative to Fe in 19 red giants of the metal-poor GC M92. Using spectra obtained with the Hydra multi-object spectrograph on the WIYN Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, we derive differential abundances for 21 species of 19 elements. The Fe-group elements, plus Y and Zr, are homogeneous at a level of 0.07-0.16 dex. The heavy-elements La, Eu, and Ho exhibit clear star-to-star dispersion spanning 0.5-0.8 dex. The abundances of these elements are correlated with one another, and we demonstrate that they were produced by r-process nucleosynthesis. This r-process dispersion is not correlated with the dispersion in C, N, or Na in M92, indicating that r-process inhomogeneities were present in the gas throughout star formation. The r-process dispersion is similar to that previously observed in the metal-poor GC M15, but its origin in M15 or M92 is unknown at present.Item High-Resolution Spectroscopy Of Extremely Metal-Poor Stars In The Least Evolved Galaxies: Ursa Major II And Coma Berenices(2010-01) Frebel, Anna; Simon, Joshua D.; Geha, Marla; Willman, Beth; Frebel, AnnaWe present spectra of six metal-poor stars in two of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way (MW), Ursa Major II, and Coma Berenices obtained with the Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES). These observations include the first high-resolution spectroscopic observations of extremely metal-poor ([Fe/H] < -3.0) stars not belonging to the MW halo field star population. We obtain abundance measurements and upper limits for 26 elements between carbon and europium. The entire sample of stars spans a range of -3.2 < [Fe/H] < -2.3, and we confirm that each galaxy contains a large intrinsic spread of Fe abundances. A comparison with MW halo stars of similar metallicities reveals substantial agreement between the abundance patterns of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies and the MW halo for the light, alpha, and iron-peak elements (C to Zn). This agreement contrasts with the results of earlier studies of more metal-rich stars (-2.5 less than or similar to [Fe/H] less than or similar to -1.0) in more luminous dwarf spheroidal galaxies, which found significant abundance discrepancies with respect to the MW halo data. The abundances of neutron-capture elements (Sr to Eu) in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies are extremely low, consistent with the most metal-poor halo stars, but not with the typical halo abundance pattern at [Fe/H] greater than or similar to -3.0. Not only are our results broadly consistent with a galaxy formation model that predicts that massive dwarf galaxies are the source of the metal-rich component ([Fe/H] > -2.5) of the MW halo, but they also suggest that the faintest known dwarfs may be the primary contributors to the metal-poor end of the MW halo metallicity distribution.Item Hubble Space Telescope Near-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy Of The Bright CEMP-No Star BD+44 Degrees 493(2014-07) Placco, Vinicius M.; Beers, Timothy C.; Roederer, Ian U.; Cowan, John J.; Frebel, Anna; Filler, Dan; Ivans, Inese I.; Lawler, James E.; Schatz, Hendrik; Sneden, Christopher; Sobeck, Jennifer S.; Aoki, Wako; Smith, Verne V.; Sneden, ChristopherWe present an elemental-abundance analysis, in the near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectral range, for the extremely metal-poor star BD+44 degrees 493 a ninth magnitude subgiant with [Fe/H] = -3.8 and enhanced carbon, based on data acquired with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. This star is the brightest example of a class of objects that, unlike the great majority of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, does not exhibit over-abundances of heavy neutron-capture elements (CEMP-no). In this paper, we validate the abundance determinations for a number of species that were previously studied in the optical region, and obtain strong upper limits for beryllium and boron, as well as for neutron-capture elements from zirconium to platinum, many of which are not accessible from ground-based spectra. The boron upper limit we obtain for BD+44 degrees 493, log is an element of (B) < -0.70, the first such measurement for a CEMP star, is the lowest yet found for very and extremely metal-poor stars. In addition, we obtain even lower upper limits on the abundances of beryllium, log is an element of (Be) < -2.3, and lead, log is an element of (Pb) < -0.23 ([Pb/Fe] < +1.90), than those reported by previous analyses in the optical range. Taken together with the previously measured low abundance of lithium, the very low upper limits on Be and B suggest that BD+44 degrees 493 was formed at a very early time, and that it could well be a bona-fide second-generation star. Finally, the Pb upper limit strengthens the argument for non-s-process production of the heavy-element abundance patterns in CEMP-no stars.Item Improved Co I Log(gf) Values and Abundance Determinations in the Photospheres of the Sun and Metal-Poor Star HD 84937(2015-09) Lawler, James E.; Sneden, Christopher; Cowan, John J.; Sneden, ChristopherNew emission branching fraction measurements for 898 lines of the first spectrum of cobalt (Co I) are determined from hollow cathode lamp spectra recorded with the National Solar Observatory 1 m Fourier transform spectrometer on Kitt Peak, AZ and a high-resolution echelle spectrometer. Published radiative lifetimes from laser induced fluorescence measurements are combined with the branching fractions to determine accurate absolute atomic transition probabilities for the 898 lines. Hyperfine structure (hfs) constants for levels of neutral Co in the literature are surveyed and selected values are used to generate complete hfs component patterns for 195 transitions of Co I. These new laboratory data are applied to determine the Co abundance in the Sun and metal-poor star HD 84937, yielding log epsilon(Co) = 4.955 +/- 0.007 (sigma = 0.059) based on 82 Co I lines and log epsilon(Co) = 2.785 +/- 0.008 (sigma = 0.065) based on 66 Co I lines, respectively. A Saha or ionization balance test on the photosphere of HD 84937 is performed using 16 UV lines of Co II, and good agreement is found with the Co I result in this metal-poor ([Fe I/H] = -2.32, [Fe II/H] = -2.32) dwarf star. The resulting value of [Co/Fe]= +0.14 supports a rise of Co/Fe at low metallicity that has been suggested in other studies.Item Improved Laboratory Transition Probabilities for Ce II, Application to the Cerium Abundances of the Sun and Five R-Process-Rich, Metal-Poor Stars, and Rare Earth Lab Data Summary(2009-05) Lawler, James E.; Sneden, Christopher; Cowan, John J.; Ivans,, Inese I.; Den Hartog, E. A.; Sneden, ChristopherRecent radiative lifetime measurements accurate to +/- 5% using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) on 43 even-parity and 15 odd-parity levels of Ce II have been combined with new branching fractions measured using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) to determine transition probabilities for 921 lines of Ce II. This improved laboratory data set has been used to determine a new solar photospheric Ce abundance, log epsilon = 1.61 +/- 0.01 (sigma = 0.06 from 45 lines), a value in excellent agreement with the recommended meteoritic abundance, log epsilon = 1.61 +/- 0.02. Revised Ce abundances have also been derived for the r-process-rich metal-poor giant stars BD+17 degrees 3248, CS 22892-052, CS 31082-001, HD 115444, and HD 221170. Between 26 and 40 lines were used for determining the Ce abundance in these five stars, yielding a small statistical uncertainty of +/- 0.01 dex similar to the solar result. The relative abundances in the metal-poor stars of Ce and Eu, a nearly pure r-process element in the Sun, matches r-process-only model predictions for solar system material. This consistent match with small scatter over a wide range of stellar metallicities lends support to these predictions of elemental fractions. A companion paper includes an interpretation of these new precision abundance results for Ce as well as new abundance results and interpretation for Pr, Dy, and Tm.Item Improved Laboratory Transition Probabilities for Er II and Application to the Erbium Abundances of the Sun and Five R-Process-Rich, Metal-Poor Stars(2008-09) Lawler, James E.; Sneden, Christopher; Cowan, John J.; Wyart, J. F.; Ivans,, Inese I.; Sobeck, Jennifer S.; Stockett, M. H.; Den Hartog, E. A.; Sneden, ChristopherRecent radiative lifetime measurements accurate to +/- 5% (Stockett et al. 2007, J. Phys. B 40, 4529) using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) on 7 even-parity and 63 odd-parity levels of Er II have been combined with new branching fractions measured using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) to determine transition probabilities for 418 lines of Er II. This work moves Er II onto the growing list of rare-earth spectra with extensive and accurate modern transition probability measurements using LIF plus FTS data. This improved laboratory data set has been used to determine a new solar photospheric Er abundance, log epsilon = 0.96 +/- 0.03 (sigma = 0.06 from 8 lines), a value in excellent agreement with the recommended meteoritic abundance, log epsilon = 0.95 +/- 0.03. Revised Er abundances have also been derived for the r-process-richmetal-poor giant stars CS 22892-052, BD + 17 3248, HD 221170, HD 115444, and CS 31082-001. For these five stars the average Er/Eu abundance ratio, < log epsilon(Er/Eu)> = 0.42, is in very good agreement with the solar-system r-process ratio. This study has further strengthened the finding that r-process nucleosynthesis in the early Galaxy, which enriched these metal-poor stars, yielded a very similar pattern to the r-process, which enriched later stars including the Sun.Item Line Lists for the A(2)Pi-X-2 Sigma(+) (Red) and B-2 Sigma(+)-X-2 Sigma(+) (Violet) Systems of Cn, (Cn)-C-13-N-14, and (Cn)-C-12-N-15, and Application To Astronomical Spectra(2014-10) Sneden, Christopher; Lucatello, Sara; Ram, Ram S.; Brooke, James S. A.; Bernath, Peter; Sneden, ChristopherNew red and violet system line lists for the CN isotopologues (CN)-C-13-N-14 and (CN)-C-12-N-15 have been generated. These new transition data are combined with those previously derived for (CN)-C-12-N-14, and applied to the determination of CNO abundances in the solar photosphere and in four red giant stars: Arcturus, the bright, very low-metallicity star HD 122563, and the carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars HD 196944 and HD 201626. When both red and violet system lines are detectable in a star, their derived N abundances are in good agreement. The mean N abundances determined in this work are also generally in accord with published values.Item Neutron-Capture Nucleosynthesis In The First Stars*(2014-04) Roederer, Ian U.; Preston, George W.; Thompson, Ian B.; Shectman, Stephen A.; Sneden, Christopher; Sneden, ChristopherRecent studies suggest that metal-poor stars enhanced in carbon but containing low levels of neutron-capture elements may have been among the first to incorporate the nucleosynthesis products of the first generation of stars. We have observed 16 stars with enhanced carbon or nitrogen using the MIKE Spectrograph on the Magellan Telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory and the Tull Spectrograph on the Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. We present radial velocities, stellar parameters, and detailed abundance patterns for these stars. Strontium, yttrium, zirconium, barium, europium, ytterbium, and other heavy elements are detected. In four stars, these heavy elements appear to have originated in some form of r-process nucleosynthesis. In one star, a partial s-process origin is possible. The origin of the heavy elements in the rest of the sample cannot be determined unambiguously. The presence of elements heavier than the iron group offers further evidence that zero-metallicity rapidly rotating massive stars and pair instability supernovae did not contribute substantial amounts of neutron-capture elements to the regions where the stars in our sample formed. If the carbon-or nitrogen-enhanced metal-poor stars with low levels of neutron-capture elements were enriched by products of zero-metallicity supernovae only, then the presence of these heavy elements indicates that at least one form of neutron-capture reaction operated in some of the first stars.Item New Abundance Determinations of Cadmium, Lutetium, and Osmium in the R-Process Enriched Star BD+17 3248(2010-05) Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, Christopher; Lawler, James E.; Cowan, John J.; Roederer, Ian U.; Sneden, ChristopherWe report the detection of Cd I (Z = 48), Lu II (Z = 71), and Os II (Z = 76) in the metal-poor star BD + 17 3248. These abundances are derived from an ultraviolet spectrum obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. This is the first detection of these neutron-capture species in a metal-poor star enriched by the r process. We supplement these measurements with new abundances of Moi, Rui, and Rh i derived from an optical spectrum obtained with the High Resolution Echelle Spectrograph on Keck. Combined with previous abundance derivations, 32 neutron-capture elements have been detected in BD + 17 3248, the most complete neutron-capture abundance pattern in any metal-poor star to date. The light neutron-capture elements (38 <= Z <= 48) show a more pronounced even-odd effect than expected from current solar system r-process abundance predictions. The age for BD + 17 3248 derived from the Th ii/Os II chronometer is in better agreement with the age derived from other chronometers than the age derived from Th ii/Os i. NewHf II abundance derivations from transitions in the ultraviolet are lower than those derived from transitions in the optical, and the lower Hf abundance is in better agreement with the scaled solar system r-process distribution.Item New Detections Of Arsenic, Selenium, And Other Heavy Elements In Two Metal-Poor Stars(2014-08) Roederer, Ian U.; Schatz, Hendrik; Lawler, James E.; Beers, Timothy C.; Cowan, John J.; Frebel, Anna; Ivans, Inese, I.; Sneden, Christopher; Sobeck, Jennifer S.; Sneden, ChristopherWe use the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain new high-quality spectra covering the 1900 <= lambda <= 2360 angstrom wavelength range for two metal-poor stars, HD 108317 and HD 128279. We derive abundances of Cu II, Zn II, As I, Se I, Mo II, and Cd II, which have not been detected previously in either star. Abundances derived for Ge I, Te I, Os II, and Pt I confirm those derived from lines at longer wavelengths. We also derive upper limits from the non-detection of W II, Hg II, Pb II, and Bi I. The mean [As/Fe] ratio derived from these two stars and five others in the literature is unchanged over the metallicity range -2.8 < [Fe/H] < -0.6, <[As/Fe]> = +0.28 +/- 0.14 (sigma = 0.36 dex). The mean [Se/Fe] ratio derived from these two stars and six others in the literature is also constant, <[Se/Fe]> = +0.16 +/- 0.09 (sigma = 0.26 dex). The As and Se abundances are enhanced relative to a simple extrapolation of the iron-peak abundances to higher masses, suggesting that this mass region (75 <= A <= 82) may be the point at which a different nucleosynthetic mechanism begins to dominate the quasi-equilibrium alpha-rich freezeout of the iron peak. <[Cu II/Cu I]> = +0.56 +/- 0.23 in HD 108317 and HD 128279, and we infer that lines of Cu I may not be formed in local thermodynamic equilibrium in these stars. The [Zn/Fe], [Mo/Fe], [Cd/Fe], and [Os/Fe] ratios are also derived from neutral and ionized species, and each ratio pair agrees within the mutual uncertainties, which range from 0.15 to 0.52 dex.Item New Rare Earth Element Abundance Distributions for the Sun and Five R-Process-Rich Very Metal-Poor Stars(2009-05) Sneden, Christopher; Lawler, James E.; Cowan, John J.; Ivans,, Inese I.; Den Hartog, Elizabeth A.; Sneden, ChristopherWe have derived new abundances of the rare earth elements Pr, Dy, Tm, Yb, and Lu for the solar photosphere and for five very metal-poor, neutron-capture r-process-rich giant stars. The photospheric values for all five elements are in good agreement with meteoritic abundances. For the low-metallicity sample, these abundances have been combined with new Ce abundances from a companion paper, and reconsideration of a few other elements in individual stars, to produce internally consistent Ba, rare earth, and Hf ( 56 <= Z <= 72) element distributions. These have been used in a critical comparison between stellar and solar r-process abundance mixes.