HST Observations of Heavy Elements in Metal-Poor Galactic Halo Stars

Abstract

We present new abundance determinations of neutron-capture elements Ge, Zr, Os, Ir, and Pt in a sample of 11 metal-poor (-3.1 <= [Fe/H] <= -1.6) Galactic halo giant stars, based on Hubble Space Telescope UV and Keck I optical high-resolution spectroscopy. The stellar sample is dominated by r-process-rich stars such as the well-studied CS 22892-052 and bd+173248, but also includes the r-process-poor, bright giant HD 122563. Our results demonstrate that abundances of the 3rd r-process peak elements Os, Ir and Pt in these metal-poor halo stars are very well-correlated among themselves, and with the abundances of the canonical r-process element Eu (determined in other studies), thus arguing for a common origin or site for r-process nucleosynthesis of heavier (Z>56) elements. However, the large (and correlated) scatters of [Eu,Os,Ir,Pt/Fe] suggests that the heaviest neutron-capture r-process elements are not formed in all supernovae. In contrast, the Ge abundances of all program stars track their Fe abundances, very well. An explosive process on iron-peak nuclei (e.g., the alpha-rich freeze-out in supernovae), rather than neutron capture, appears to have been the dominant synthesis mechanism for this element at low metallicities -- Ge abundances seem completely uncorrelated with Eu.