Results from high-resolution spectral analyses of a selected sample of CH stars are presented. Detailed chemical composition studies of these objects, which could reveal abundance patterns that in turn provide information regarding nucleosynthesis an
d evolutionary status, are scarce in the literature. We conducted detailed chemical composition studies for these objects based on high resolution (R ~ 42000) spectra. The spectra were taken from the ELODIE archive and cover the wavelength range from 3900 to 6800 A, in the wavelength range. We estimated the stellar atmospheric parameters, the effective temperature Teff, the surface gravity log g, and metallicity [Fe/H] from Local thermodynamic equilibrium analyses using model atmospheres. Estimated temperatures of these objects cover a wide range from 4550 K to 6030 K, the surface gravity from 1.8 to 3.8 and metallicity from -0.18 to -1.4. We report updates on elemental abundances for several heavy elements and present estimates of abundance ratios of Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Dy with respect to Fe. For the object HD 188650 we present the first abundance analyses results based on a high resolution spectrum. Enhancements of heavy elements relative to Fe, that are characteristic of CH stars are evident from our analyses for most of the objects. A parametric model based study is performed to understand the relative contributions from the s- and r-processes to the abundances of the heavy elements.
Identification of metal-poor stars among field stars is extremely useful for studying the structure and evolution of the Galaxy and of external galaxies. We search for metal-poor stars using the artificial neural network (ANN) and extend its usage to
determine absolute magnitudes. We have constructed a library of 167 medium-resolution stellar spectra (R ~ 1200) covering the stellar temperature range of 4200 to 8000 K, log g range of 0.5 to 5.0, and [Fe/H] range of -3.0 to +0.3 dex. This empirical spectral library was used to train ANNs, yielding an accuracy of 0.3 dex in [Fe/H], 200 K in temperature, and 0.3 dex in log g. We found that the independent calibrations of near-solar metallicity stars and metal-poor stars decreases the errors in T_eff and log g by nearly a factor of two. We calculated T_eff, log g, and [Fe/H] on a consistent scale for a large number of field stars and candidate metal-poor stars. We extended the application of this method to the calibration of absolute magnitudes using nearby stars with well-estimated parallaxes. A better calibration accuracy for M_V could be obtained by training separate ANNs for cool, warm, and metal-poor stars. The current accuracy of M_V calibration is (+-)0.3 mag. A list of newly identified metal-poor stars is presented. The M_V calibration procedure developed here is reddening-independent and hence may serve as a powerful tool in studying galactic structure.
Hydrogen deficiency and a sudden optical light decline by about 6-8 mag are two principal characteristics of R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars. The high latitude carbon star HE 1015-2050 was identified as a hydrogen-deficient carbon star from low-resolu
tion spectroscopy. Photometric data of the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey gathered between 2006 February and 2012 May indicate that the object exhibits no variability. However, a high-resolution (R ~ 50,000) optical spectrum of this object obtained with the 8.2m Subaru telescope using High Dispersion Spectrograph on the 2012 January 13 offers sufficient spectral evidences for the object being a cool HdC star of RCB type undergoing light decline. In contrast to the Na I D broad absorption features, seen in the low-resolution spectra on several occasions, the high-resolution spectrum exhibits Na I D2 and D1 features in emission. A few emission lines due to Mg I, Sc II, Ti I, Ti II, Fe II and Ba I are also observed in the spectrum of this object for the first time. Such emission features combined with neutral and singly ionized lines of Ca, Ti, Fe, etc., in absorption are reportedly seen in RCBs spectra in the early stage of decline or during the recovery to maximum. Further, the light decline of RCBs is ascribed to the formation of a cloud of soot that obscures the visible photosphere. Presence of such circumstellar material is evident from the polarimetric observations with an estimated V-band percentage polarization of ~1.7% for this object.
Very little is known about the polarimetric properties of CH stars and carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, although many of these objects have been studied in detail both photometrically and spectroscopically. We aim to derive polarimetric prope
rties for a large sample of CEMP stars and CH stars to fill this gap. Multiband polarimetric observations were conducted in the first run for a sample of twenty-nine objects that include twenty-two CEMP and CH stars and seven polarization standards. Estimates of polarization were obtained using standard procedures of polarization calculation. Five objects in our sample do not show any significant polarization over the different colours of BVRI. For the rest of the objects the derived percentage polarization estimates are less than or equal to 1%, and they are found to exhibit random behaviour with respect to the inverse of the effective wavelength of observations. Polarization also does not seem to have any correlation with the effective temperatures of the stars. Our polarimetric estimates indicate there are circumstellar envelopes around these stars that are spherically symmetric or envelopes with little or no dust. In the plane of differential polarization, defined as the difference between the maximum and the minimum polarizations within the BVRI-bands, versus their visual magnitude, the stars appear to be confined to a narrow band. The implication of this trend for understanding the nature of the circumstellar environment remains to be determined and requires detailed modelling.
The sample of candidate faint high latitude carbon (FHLC) stars chosen from the Hamburg/ESO survey is a potential source to search for objects of rare types. From medium resolution spectral analyses of about 250 objects from this sample, the object H
E 1015-2050, was found to be a hydrogen-deficient carbon (HdC) star. Apart from U Aquarii, HE 1015-2050 is the only example, till now, of a Galactic cool HdC star that is characterized by strong spectral features of light s-process element Sr, and weak features of heavy s-process elements such as Ba. This object, with its enhanced carbon and hydrogen-deficiency, together with anomalous s- process spectral features, poses a challenge as far as the understanding of its formation mechanism is concerned. We discuss possible mechanisms for its formation in the framework of existing scenarios of HdC star formation.
An update on recent methods for automated stellar parametrization is given. We present preliminary results of the ongoing program for rapid parametrization of field stars using medium resolution spectra obtained using Vainu Bappu Telescope at VBO, Ka
valur, India. We have used Artificial Neural Network for estimating temperature, gravity, metallicity and absolute magnitude of the field stars. The network for each parameter is trained independently using a large number of calibrating stars. The trained network is used for estimating atmospheric parameters of unexplored field stars.
Medium resolution spectral analysis of candidate Faint High Latitude Carbon (FHLC) stars from Hamburg/ESO survey has given us the potential to discover objects of rare types. Two primary spectral characteristics of R Coroanae Borealis (RCB) stars are
hydrogen deficiency and weaker CN bands relative to C_{2} bands. They are also characterized by their characteristic location in the J-H, H-K plane with respect to cool carbon stars. From a spectral analysis of a sample of 243 candidate FHLC stars, we have discovered a hydrogen-deficient carbon (HdC) star HE 1015-2050, at high Galactic latitude. A differential analysis of its spectrum with that of the spectrum of U Aquarii (U Aqr), a well-known cool HdC star of RCB type, provides sufficient evidence to put this object in a group same as that of U Aqr. Further, it is shown that HE 1015-2050 does not belong to any of the C-star groups CH, C-R, C-N or C-J. Cool RCB stars form a group of relatively rare astrophysical objects; approximately 51 are known in the Galaxy and some 18 in the Large Magellanic Clouds (LMC) and five in Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The present discovery adds a new member to this rare group. Although its spectral characteristics and its location in the J-H vs H-K plane places HE 1015-2050 in the same group to which U Aqr belongs, extended photometric observations would be useful to learn if there is any sudden decline in brightness, this being a characteristic property of HdC stars of RCB type.
High resolution spectra obtained from the Subaru Telescope High Dispersion Spectrograph have been used to update the stellar atmospheric parameters and metallicity of the star HD 209621. We have derived a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -1.93 for this star,
and have found a large enhancement of carbon and of heavy elements, with respect to iron. Updates on the elemental abundances of four s-process elements (Y, Ce, Pr, Nd) along with the first estimates of abundances for a number of other heavy elements (Sr, Zr, Ba, La, Sm, Eu, Er, Pb) are reported. The stellar atmospheric parameters, the effective temperature, Teff, and the surface gravity, log g (4500 K, 2.0), are determined from LTE analysis using model atmospheres. Estimated [Ba/Eu] = +0.35, places the star in the group of CEMP-(r+s) stars; however, the s-elements abundance pattern seen in HD 209621 is characteristic of CH stars; notably, the 2nd-peak s-process elements are more enhanced than the first peak s-process elements. HD 209621 is also found to show a large enhancement of the 3rd-peak s-process element lead (Pb) with [Pb/Fe] = +1.88. The relative contributions of the two neutron-capture processes, r- and s- to the observed abundances are examined using a parametric model based analysis, that hints that the neutron-capture elements in HD 209621 primarily originate in s-process.
CH stars form a distinct class of objects with characteristic properties like iron deficiency, enrichment of carbon and overabundance in heavy elements. These properties can provide strong observational constraints for theoretical computation of nucl
eosynthesis at low-metallicity. An important question is the relative surface density of CH stars which can provide valuable inputs to our understanding on the role of low to intermediate-mass stars in the early Galactic chemical evolution. Spectroscopic characterization provides an effective way of identifying CH stars. The present analysis is aimed at a quantitative assessment of the fraction of CH stars in a sample of stars using a set of spectral classification criteria. The sample consists of 92 objects selected from a collection of candidate Faint High Latitude Carbon stars from the Hamburg/ESO survey. Medium resolution (R ~ 1300) spectra for these objects were obtained using OMR at VBO, Kavalur and HFOSC at HCT, IAO, Hanle, during 2007 - 2009 spanning a wavelength range 3800 - 6800 A. Spectral analysis shows 36 of the 92 objects to be potential CH stars; combined with our earlier studies (Goswami 2005, Goswami et al. 2007) this implies ~ 37% (of 243) objects as the CH fraction. We present spectral descriptions of the newly identified CH star candidates. Estimated effective temperatures, 12C/13C isotopic ratios and their locations on the two colour J-H vs H-K plot are used to support their identification.
