Relative abundances in metal-poor stars. II. The carbon-to-iron ratio

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/156557· OSTI ID:6353993

Peterson, R C ^[1]

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1. Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Palo Alto, CA

The abundance of carbon was determined (or an upper limit established) by spectral synthesis of CH features in a dozen field dwarfs and subgiants of metallicities 1/5 to 1/100 solar. All program stars were selected from the Eggen high-velocity catalog, observed with the SAO echelle-Kron system at Mount Hopkins, Arizona, and analyzed by using model-atmosphere computations of broad-band colors and weak atomic lines. The CH features reveal that all these stars have essentially the solar carbon-to-iron ratio, given the +-0.2 dex uncertainty in the normalization to the solar value, and the +- 0.14 dex uncertainty in an individual stellar carbon-abundance determination relative to others. Several implications of this uniformity are briefly discussed for studies of the evolution of the Galaxy as a whole. 2 figures, 1 table.

• OSTI ID: 6353993
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 225:3; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640105 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CARBON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
COSMOCHEMISTRY
DWARF STARS
ELEMENTS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
IRON
LIMITING VALUES
METALS
METHYLENE RADICALS
NONMETALS
RADICALS
STARS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS