Homogeneity in the early chemical evolution of the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy

We present the high-resolution spectroscopic analysis of two new extremely metal-poor star (EMPS) candidates in the dwarf spheroidal galaxy Sextans. These targets were preselected from medium-resolution spectra centered around the Ca II triplet in the near-infrared and were followed-up at higher resolution with VLT/UVES. We confirm their low metallicities with [Fe/H] = −2.95 and [Fe/H] = −3.01, which place them among the most metal-poor stars known in Sextans. The abundances of 18 elements, including C, Na, the α, Fe-peak, and neutron-capture elements, are determined. In particular, we present the first unambiguous detection of Zn in a classical dwarf at extremely low metallicity. Previous indications were made of a large scatter in the abundance ratios of the Sextans stellar population around [Fe/H] ∼ − 3 when compared to other galaxies, particularly with very low observed [α/Fe] ratios. We took the opportunity of reanalyzing the full sample of EMPS in Sextans and find a [α/Fe] Milky Way-like plateau and a ∼0.2 dex dispersion at fixed metallicity.

Detailed abundances in a sample of very metal-poor stars

Context. Unevolved metal-poor stars bore witness to the early evolution of the Galaxy, and the determination of their detailed chemical composition is an important tool to understand its chemical history. The study of their chemical composition can also be used to constrain the nucleosynthesis of the first generation of supernovae that enriched the interstellar medium. Aims. We aim to observe a sample of extremely metal-poor star (EMP stars) candidates selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data release 12 (SDSS DR12) and determine their chemical composition. Methods. We obtained high-resolution spectra of a sample of five stars using HDS on Subaru telescope and used standard 1D models to compute the abundances. The stars we analysed have a metallicity [Fe/H] of between −3.50 and −4.25 dex. Results. We confirm that the five metal-poor candidates selected from low-resolution spectra are very metal poor. We present the discovery of a new ultra metal-poor star (UMP star) with a metallicity of [Fe/H] = −4.25 dex (SDSS J1050032.34−241009.7). We measured in this star an upper limit of lithium (log(Li/H) ≤ 2.0. We found that the four most metal-poor stars of our sample have a lower lithium abundance than the Spite plateau lithium value. We obtain upper limits for carbon in the sample of stars. None of them belong to the high carbon band. We measured abundances of Mg and Ca in most of the stars and found three new α-poor stars.

Theoretical Stark Broadening Parameters for UV–Blue Spectral Lines of Neutral Vanadium in the Solar and Metal-Poor Star HD 84937 Spectra

Using Griem’s semi-empirical approach, we have calculated the Stark broadening parameters (line widths and shifts) of 35 UV–Blue spectral lines of neutral vanadium (V I). These lines have been detected in the Sun, the metal-poor star HD 84937, and Arcturus, among others. In addition, these parameters are also relevant in industrial and laboratory plasma. The matrix elements required were obtained using the relativistic Hartree–Fock (HFR) method implemented in Cowan’s code.

The impact of (n,γ) reaction rate uncertainties on the predicted abundances of i-process elements with 32 ≤ Z ≤ 48 in the metal-poor star HD94028

ABSTRACT Several anomalous elemental abundance ratios have been observed in the metal-poor star HD94028. We assume that its high [As/Ge] ratio is a product of a weak intermediate (i) neutron-capture process. Given that observational errors are usually smaller than predicted nuclear physics uncertainties, we have first set-up a benchmark one-zone i-process nucleosynthesis simulation results of which provide the best fit to the observed abundances. We have then performed Monte Carlo simulations in which 113 relevant (n,γ) reaction rates of unstable species were randomly varied within Hauser–Feshbach model uncertainty ranges for each reaction to estimate the impact on the predicted stellar abundances. One of the interesting results of these simulations is a double-peaked distribution of the As abundance, which is caused by the variation of the 75Ga (n,γ) cross-section. This variation strongly anticorrelates with the predicted As abundance, confirming the necessity for improved theoretical or experimental bounds on this cross-section. The 66Ni (n,γ) reaction is found to behave as a major bottleneck for the i-process nucleosynthesis. Our analysis finds the Pearson product–moment correlation coefficient rP > 0.2 for all of the i-process elements with 32 ≤ Z ≤ 42, with significant changes in their predicted abundances showing up when the rate of this reaction is reduced to its theoretically constrained lower bound. Our results are applicable to any other stellar nucleosynthesis site with the similar i-process conditions, such as Sakurai’s object (V4334 Sagittarii) or rapidly accreting white dwarfs.

Constraints on the production and escape of ionizing radiation from the emission-line spectra of metal-poor star-forming galaxies

ABSTRACT We explore the production and escape of ionizing photons in young galaxies by investigating the ultraviolet and optical emission-line properties of models of ionization-bounded and density-bounded H ii regions, active-galactic-nucleus (AGN) narrow-line regions, and radiative shocks computed all using the same physically consistent description of element abundances and depletion on to dust grains down to very low metallicities. We compare these models with a reference sample of metal-poor star-forming galaxies and Lyman-continuum (LyC) leakers at various redshifts, which allows the simultaneous exploration of more spectral diagnostics than typically available at once for individual subsamples. We confirm that current single- and binary-star population synthesis models do not produce hard-enough radiation to account for the high-ionization emission of the most metal-poor galaxies. Introducing either an AGN or radiative-shock component brings models into agreement with observations. A published model including X-ray binaries is an attractive alternative to reproduce the observed rise in He iiλ4686/H β ratio with decreasing oxygen abundance in metal-poor star-forming galaxies, but not the high observed He iiλ4686/Hβ ratios of galaxies with large EW(Hβ). A source of harder ionizing radiation appears to be required in these extreme objects, such as an AGN or radiative-shock component, perhaps linked to an initial-mass-function bias towards massive stars at low metallicity. This would also account for the surprisingly high [O i]/[O iii] ratios of confirmed LyC leakers relative to ionization-bounded models. We find no simple by-eye diagnostic of the nature of ionizing sources and the escape of LyC photon, which require proper simultaneous fits of several lines to be discriminated against.