No Arabic abstract
For a detailed analysis of stellar chemical abundances, high-resolution spectra in the optical have mainly been used, while the development of near-infrared (NIR) spectrograph has opened new wavelength windows. Red giants have a large number of resolved absorption lines in both the optical and NIR wavelengths, but the characteristics of the lines in different wave passbands are not necessarily the same. We present a selection of FeI lines in the $z^{prime}$, $Y$, and $J$ bands (0.91-1.33 $mu$m). On the basis of two different lists of lines in this range, the Vienna Atomic Line Database (VALD) and the catalog published by Melendez & Barbuy in 1999 (MB99), we selected sufficiently strong lines that are not severely blended and compiled lists with 107 FeI lines in total (97 and 75 lines from VALD and MB99, respectively). Combining our lists with high-resolution ($lambda/Deltalambda = 28,000$) and high signal-to-noise ($>500$) spectra taken with a NIR spectrograph, WINERED, we present measurements of the iron abundances of two prototype red giants: Arcturus and $mu$ Leo. A bootstrap method for determining the microturbulence and abundance together with their errors is demonstrated. The standard deviations of $logepsilon_{rm Fe}$ values from individual FeI lines are significantly smaller when we use the lines from MB99 instead of those from VALD. With the MB99 list, we obtained $xi=1.20pm0.11 {rm km~s^{-1}}$ and $logepsilon_{rm Fe}=7.01pm0.05$ dex for Arcturus, and $xi=1.54pm0.17 {rm km~s^{-1}}$ and $logepsilon_{rm Fe}=7.73pm0.07$ dex for $mu$ Leo. These final values show better agreements with previous values in the literature than the corresponding values we obtained with VALD.
Red giants show a large number of absorption lines in both optical and near-infrared wavelengths. Still, the characteristics of the lines in different wave passbands are not necessarily the same. We searched for lines of Mg I, Si I, Ca I, Ti I, Cr I, and Ni I in the z, Y, and J bands (0.91-1.33 $mu$m), that are useful for precise abundance analyses, from two different compilations of lines, namely, the third release of Vienna Atomic Line Database (VALD3) and the catalog published by Melendez & Barbuy in 1999 (MB99). We selected sufficiently strong lines that are not severely blended and ended up with 191 lines (165 and 141 lines from VALD3 and MB99, respectively), in total, for the six elements. Combining our line lists with high-resolution (R = 28,000) and high signal-to-noise (higher than 500) spectra taken with the WINERED spectrograph, we measured the abundances of the six elements in addition to Fe I of two prototype red giants, i.e., Arcturus and mu Leo. The resultant abundances show reasonable agreements with literature values within $sim$0.2 dex, indicating that the available oscillator strengths are acceptable, although the abundances based on the two line lists show systematic differences by 0.1-0.2 dex. Furthermore, to improve the precision, solid estimation of the microturbulence (or the microturbulences if they are different for different elements) is necessary as far as the classical hydrostatic atmosphere models are used for the analysis.
With the existing and upcoming large multi-fibre low-resolution spectrographs, the question arises how precise stellar parameters such as Teff and [Fe/H] can be obtained from low-resolution K-band spectra with respect to traditional photometric temperature measurements. Until now, most of the effective temperatures in galactic Bulge studies come directly from photometric techniques. Uncertainties in interstellar reddening and in the assumed extinction law could lead to large systematic errors. We aim to obtain and calibrate the relation between Teff and the $rm ^{12}CO$ first overtone bands for M giants in the galactic Bulge covering a wide range in metallicity. We use low-resolution spectra for 20 M giants with well-studied parameters from photometric measurements covering the temperature range 3200 < Teff < 4500 K and a metallicity range from 0.5 dex down to -1.2 dex and study the behaviour of Teff and [Fe/H] on the spectral indices. We find a tight relation between Teff and the $rm ^{12}CO(2-0)$ band with a dispersion of 95 K as well as between Teff and the $rm ^{12}CO(3-1)$ with a dispersion of 120 K. We do not find any dependence of these relations on the metallicity of the star, making them relation attractive for galactic Bulge studies. This relation is also not sensitive to the spectral resolution allowing to apply this relation in a more general way. We also found a correlation between the combination of the NaI, CaI and the $rm ^{12}CO$ band with the metallicity of the star. However this relation is only valid for sub-solar metallicities. We show that low-resolution spectra provide a powerful tool to obtain effective temperatures of M giants. We show that this relation does not depend on the metallicity of the star within the investigated range and is also applicable to different spectral resolution.
Using a spectroscopically confirmed sample of M-giants, M-dwarfs and quasars from the LAMOST survey, we assess how well WISE $&$ 2MASS color-cuts can be used to select M-giant stars. The WISE bands are very efficient at separating M-giants from M-dwarfs and we present a simple classification that can produce a clean and relatively complete sample of M-giants. We derive a new photometric relation to estimate the metallicity for M-giants, calibrated using data from the APOGEE survey. We find a strong correlation between the $(W1-W2)$ color and $rm [M/H]$, where almost all of the scatter is due to photometric uncertainties. We show that previous photometric distance relations, which are mostly based on stellar models, may be biased and devise a new empirical distance relation, investigating trends with metallicity and star formation history. Given these relations, we investigate the properties of M-giants in the Sagittarius stream. The offset in the orbital plane between the leading and trailing tails is reproduced and, by identifying distant M-giants in the direction of the Galactic anti-center, we confirm that the previously detected debris in the outer halo is the apocenter of the trailing tail. We also find tentative evidence supporting an existing overdensity near the leading tail in the Northern Galactic hemisphere, possibly an extension to the trailing tail (so-called Branch C). We have measured the metallicity distribution along the stream, finding a clear metallicity offset between the leading and trailing tails, in agreement with models for the stream formation. We include an online table of M-giants to facilitate further studies.
Symbiotic stars (SySt) are binaries composed of a star in the later stages of evolution and a stellar remnant. The enhanced mass-loss from the giant drives interacting mass exchange and makes these systems laboratories for understanding binary evolution. Studies of the chemical compositions are particularly useful since this parameter has strong impact on the evolutionary path. The previous paper in this series presented photospheric abundances for 24 giants in S-type SySt enabling a first statistical analysis. Here we present results for an additional sample of 13 giants. The aims are to improve statistics of chemical composition involved in the evolution of SySt, to study evolutionary status, mass transfer and to interpret this in terms of Galactic populations. High-resolution, near-IR spectra are used, employing the spectrum synthesis method in a classical approach, to obtain abundances of CNO and elements around the iron peak (Fe, Ti, Ni). Low-resolution spectra in the region around the Ca II triplet were used for spectral classification. The metallicities obtained cover a wide range with a maximum around ~-0.2 dex. The enrichment in the 14N isotope indicates that these giants have experienced the first dredge-up. Relative O and Fe abundances indicate that most SySt belong to the Galactic disc; however, in a few cases, the extended thick-disc/halo is suggested. Difficult to explain, relatively high Ti abundances can indicate that adopted microturbulent velocities were too small by ~0.2-0.3 km/s. The revised spectral types for V2905 Sgr, and WRAY 17-89 are M3 and M6.5, respectively.
Red giant stars are perhaps the most important type of stars for Galactic and extra-galactic archaeology: they are luminous, occur in all stellar populations, and their surface temperatures allow precise abundance determinations for many different chemical elements. Yet, the full star formation and enrichment history of a galaxy can be traced directly only if two key observables can be determined for large stellar samples - age and chemical composition. While spectroscopy is a powerful method to analyse the detailed abundances of stars, stellar ages are the missing link in the chain, since they are not a direct observable. However, spectroscopy should be able to estimate stellar masses, which for red giants directly infer ages provided their chemical composition is known. Here we establish a new empirical relation between the shape of the hydrogen line in the observed spectra of red giants and stellar mass determined from asteroseismology. The relation allows to determine stellar masses and ages with the accuracy of 10-15%. The method can be used with confidence for stars in the following range of stellar parameters: 4000 < Teff < 5000 K, 0.5 < log g < 3.5, -2.0 < [Fe/H] < 0.3, and luminosities log L/LSun < 2.5. Our analysis provides observational evidence that the Halpha spectral characteristics of red giant stars are tightly correlated with their mass and therefore their age. We also show that the method samples well all stellar populations with ages above 1 Gyr. Targeting bright giants, the method allows to obtain simultaneous age and chemical abundance information far deeper than would be possible with asteroseismology, extending the possible survey volume to remote regions of the Milky Way and even to neighbouring galaxies like Andromeda or the Magellanic Clouds already with present instrumentation, like VLT and Keck facilities.