Bibcode
García-Hernández, D. A.; Manchado, A.; Lambert, D. L.; Plez, B.; García-Lario, P.; D'Antona, F.; Lugaro, M.; Karakas, A. I.; van Raai, M. A.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 705, Issue 1, pp. L31-L35 (2009).
Advertised on:
11
2009
Citations
92
Refereed citations
68
Description
We present high-resolution (R ~ 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 discovery of strong Rb I lines at 7800 Å in four Rb-rich LMC
stars at luminosities equal to or greater than the standard adopted
luminosity limit for AGB stars (M bol ~ -7.1), confirming
that "hot bottom burning" may produce a flux excess in the more massive
AGB stars. In the SMC sample, just one of the five stars with M
bol < -7.1 was detected in Rb; the other stars may be
massive red supergiants. The Rb-rich LMC AGB stars might have stellar
masses of at least ~6-7 M sun. Our abundance analyses show
that these Rb-rich stars are extremely enriched in Rb by up to
103-105 times solar but seem to have only mild Zr
enhancements. The high Rb/Zr ratios, if real, represent a severe problem
for the s-process, even if the 22Ne source is operational as
expected for massive AGB stars; it is not possible to synthesize copious
amounts of Rb without also overproducing Zr. The solution to the problem
may lie with an incomplete present understanding of the atmospheres of
luminous AGB stars.
Related projects
Nucleosynthesis and molecular processes in the late stages of Stellar Evolution
Low- to intermediate-mass (M < 8 solar masses, Ms) stars represent the majority of stars in the Cosmos. They finish their lives on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) - just before they form planetary nebulae (PNe) - where they experience complex nucleosynthetic and molecular processes. AGB stars are important contributors to the enrichment of the
Domingo Aníbal
García Hernández