Alpha Centauri and the Abundance of Neon in the Local Universe
Abstract
The solar neon abundance has recently become the focal point of some controversy involving photospheric abundance determinations using sophisticated 3D-modelling of the solar photosphere and helioseismology. Lowering the solar oxygen abundance lowers the opacity in the solar interior and destroys the remarkably good agreement between predicted and observed solar oscillations. An ad hoc increase in the solar Ne abundance would save the situation and the - from the point of view of helioseismology - required general enhancement of the cosmic neon abundance has been suggested to actually exist on the basis of high-resolution spectra of (mostly active) stars. I present the XMM-Newton RGS spectrum of the nearby low activity star Alpha Centauri with a specific analysis of its Ne/O abundance ratio, its connection to the solar neon abundance and the neon abundance of the local cosmos.
- Publication:
-
High Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy: towards XEUS and Con-X
- Pub Date:
- August 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006hrxs.confE..36S