We present high-resolution (R similar to 60,000) optical spectra of a carefully selected sample of heavily obscured and presumably massive O-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Magellanic Clouds. We report the ...

We derive atmospheric parameters and lithium abundances for 671 stars and include our measurements in a literature compilation of 1381 dwarf and subgiant stars. First, a "lithium desert" in the effective temperature (T-eff) ...

We report the first detection of (CN)-N-15 in diffuse molecular gas from a detailed examination of CN absorption lines in archival spectra, obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph of the Very Large ...

We present an abundance analysis of the star Cernis 52 in whose spectrum we recently reported the naphthalene cation in absorption at 6707.4 angstrom. This star is on a line of sight to the Perseus molecular complex. The ...

The hydrogen-poor, helium-rich, and carbon-rich character of the gas around R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars has been suggested to be a site for formation of C-60 molecules. This suggestion is not supported by observations ...

We investigate the relationship between R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars and hydrogen-deficient carbon (HdC) stars by measuring precise (16)O/(18)O ratios for five cool RCB stars. The (16)O/(18)O ratios are derived by spectrum ...

We present measurements of the neutron-capture elements Rb and Pb for bright giants in the globular clusters M4 and M5. The clusters are of similar metallicity ([Fe/ H] similar or equal to -1.2), but M4 is decidedly s-process ...

In this Letter, we report on a low-resolution spectroscopic survey for Li-rich K giants among 2000 low-mass (M <= 3 M-circle dot) giants spanning the luminosity range from below to above the luminosity of the clump. Fifteen ...

Neutral fluorine (F I) lines are identified in the optical spectra of several R Coronae Borealis stars (RCBs) at maximum light. These lines provide the first measurement of the fluorine abundance in these stars. Fluorine ...