The Chemical Composition of Red Giants. III. Further CNO Isotopic and s-Process Abundances in Thermally Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars
Abstract
Near-IR and IR spectra are analyzed to obtain elemental and isotopic C, N, and O abundance, iron peak abundances, and heavy element s-process abundances for a sample of M, MS, and S giants. The compositions of the M giants are similar to those of G and K giants and consistent with predictions for giants that have deep convective envelopes and so have experienced the first dredge-up. The MS and S giants have compositions that show the signatures of the third dredge-up that occurs in thermally pulsing AGB stars. The sample shows that C-12, a principal product of the He-burning shell, has been added to the envelopes of MS and S stars. The C-12 enrichment is correlated with a more marked enrichment of the s-process elements that are predicted to be synthesized when a neutron source is ignited in the He-burning shell. The MS and S giants show a higher N abundance than the M giants, attributed to the expected deep mixing that occurs with the onset of the episodic third dredge-up.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
- Pub Date:
- February 1990
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1990ApJS...72..387S
- Keywords:
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- Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars;
- Infrared Spectra;
- Red Giant Stars;
- Stellar Composition;
- Stellar Oscillations;
- Stellar Spectra;
- Chemical Composition;
- Heavy Elements;
- Near Infrared Radiation;
- Astrophysics;
- INFRARED: SPECTRA;
- STARS: ABUNDANCES;
- STARS: BA II;
- STARS: LATE-TYPE