The R-process Alliance: A Nearly Complete R-process Abundance Template Derived from Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of the R-process-enhanced Metal-poor Star HD 222925
Abstract
We present a nearly complete rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) chemical inventory of the metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -1.46 ± 0.10) r-process-enhanced ([Eu/Fe] = +1.32 ± 0.08) halo star HD 222925. This abundance set is the most complete for any object beyond the solar system, with a total of 63 metals detected and seven with upper limits. It comprises 42 elements from 31 ≤ Z ≤ 90, including elements rarely detected in r-process-enhanced stars, such as Ga, Ge, As, Se, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au. We derive these abundances from an analysis of 404 absorption lines in ultraviolet spectra collected using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope and previously analyzed optical spectra. A series of appendices discusses the atomic data and quality of fits for these lines. The r-process elements from Ba to Pb, including all elements at the third r-process peak, exhibit remarkable agreement with the solar r-process residuals, with a standard deviation of the differences of only 0.08 dex (17%). In contrast, deviations among the lighter elements from Ga to Te span nearly 1.4 dex, and they show distinct trends from Ga to Se, Nb through Cd, and In through Te. The r-process contribution to Ga, Ge, and As is small, and Se is the lightest element whose production is dominated by the r-process. The lanthanide fraction, log X La = -1.39 ± 0.09, is typical for r-process-enhanced stars and higher than that of the kilonova from the GW170817 neutron-star merger event. We advocate adopting this pattern as an alternative to the solar r-process-element residuals when confronting future theoretical models of heavy-element nucleosynthesis with observations. * Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. These observations are primarily associated with program GO-15657. Data from programs GO-7348, GO-8197, GO-9804, GO-12554, GO-14161, and GO-14765 are also used. This paper also includes data gathered with the 6.5 meter Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
- Pub Date:
- June 2022
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2205.03426
- Bibcode:
- 2022ApJS..260...27R
- Keywords:
-
- Nucleosynthesis;
- R-process;
- Stellar abundances;
- Ultraviolet astronomy;
- Spectral line identification;
- 1131;
- 1324;
- 1577;
- 1736;
- 2073;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (40 pages, 10 figures