A spectroscopic survey of FHB stars near the south galactic pole†

We present the results of a medium-resolution spectroscopic survey of 43 field horizontal-branch (FHB) candidates carried out near the south galactic pole, selected from the original list of FHB candidates compiled by Beers et al. (2007). The observation list includes only stars classified as “high-probability” candidates, according to their 2MASS infrared colours. Atmospheric parameters of some stars have been obtained by comparing some spectral features with theoretical models provided by Kurucz (1993). A comparison between the grid of model atmospheres with some parameters of the Hδ line allowed the determination of log g, whilst [Fe/H] was estimated by the equivalent widths of the MgII 4481 and Caii lines. About 77% of the sample have been classified as FHB stars, 10% as subdwarfs, whilst the remaining 13% are probably main-sequence A-type stars far from the Galactic plane.