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B. Barbuy

Publications and source records attributed to B. Barbuy.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

High-resolution abundance analysis of very metal-poor r-I stars

Moderately r-process-enriched stars (r-I) are at least four times as common as those that are greatly enriched in r-process elements (r-II), and the abundances in their atmospheres are important tools for obtaining a better understanding of the nucleosynthesis processes responsible for the origin of the elements beyond the iron peak. The main aim of this work is to derive abundances for a sample of seven metal-poor stars with classified as r-I stars, to understand the role of these stars for constraining the astrophysical nucleosynthesis event(s) that is(are) responsible for the production of the r-process, and to investigate whether they differ, in any significant way, from the r-II stars. We carried out a detailed abundance analysis based on high-resolution spectra obtained with the VLT/UVES spectrograph. The OSMARCS LTE 1D model atmosphere grid was employed, along with the spectrum synthesis code Turbospectrum. We have derived abundances of light elements Li, C, and N, alpha-elements, odd-Z elements, iron-peak elements, and the trans-iron elements from the first peak, the second peak, the third peak, and the actinides regions. The results are compared with values for these elements for r-II and normal very and extremely metal-poor stars reported in the literature, ages based on radioactive chronometry are explored using different models, and a number of conclusions about the r-process and the r-I stars are presented. Hydrodynamical models were used for some elements, and general behaviors for the 3D corrections were presented.

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Manganese abundances in Galactic bulge red giants

Manganese is mainly produced in type II SNe during explosive silicon burning, in incomplete Si-burning regions, and depends on several nucleosynthesis environment conditions, such as mass cut beween the matter ejected and falling back onto the remnant, electron and neutron excesses, mixing fallback, and explosion energy. Manganese is also produced in type Ia SNe. The aim of this work is the study of abundances of the iron-peak element Mn in 56 bulge giants, among which 13 are red clump stars. Four bulge fields along the minor axis are inspected. The study of abundances of Mn-over-Fe as a function of metallicity in the Galactic bulge may shed light on its production mechanisms. High-resolution spectra were obtained using the FLAMES+UVES spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope. The spectra were obtained within a program to observe 800 stars using the GIRAFFE spectrograph, together with the present UVES spectra. We aim at identifying the chemical evolution of manganese, as a function of metallicity, in the Galactic bulge. We find [Mn/Fe] ~-0.7 at [Fe/H]~-1.3, increasing to a solar value at metallicities close to solar, and showing a spread around -0.7<[Fe/H]<-0.2, in good agreement with other work on Mn in bulge stars. There is also good agreement with chemical evolution models. We find no clear difference in the behaviour of the four bulge fields. Whereas [Mn/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] could be identified with the behaviour of the thick disc stars, [Mn/O] vs. [O/H] has a behaviour running parallel, at higher metallicities, compared to thick disc stars, indicating that the bulge enrichment might have proceeded differently from that of the thick disk.

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First stars XVI. STIS/HST abundances of heavy-elements in the uranium-rich star CS 31082-001

Detailed abundances of the elements produced by r-process nucleosynthesis in various circumstances are our best observational clues to their origin, since the site(s) of r-element production is(are) still not known with certainty. A small fraction of extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars exhibit excesses of heavy neutron-capture elements produced in the r-process, and CS 31082-001 is among the 4 well-known r-process-enhanced EMP stars. Observations with HST/STIS provide abundances for elements observable only from the UV region. Here we aim to supplement the optical data with abundances from near-UV spectroscopy of the first and second peak of the r-elements, which are crucial to giving insight into the nucleosynthesis of the elements beyond iron. The UVES spectrum provided additional measurements, thereby improving the previous results. The spectra were analyzed with the OSMARCS LTE model atmosphere and with a consistent approach based on the spectrum synthesis code Turbospectrum to derive abundances of heavy elements in CS 31082-001, using updated oscillator strengths from the recent literature. We computed synthetic spectra for all lines of the elements of interest, checking for proper intensities and possible blends. We combined the abundances of heavy elements derived in previous works with the derivation of abundances from all reliable new list of lines, for the first and second peaks of r-elements. We were able to derive new abundances for 23 n-elements, 6 of them - Ge, Mo, Lu, Ta, W, and Re - were not available in previous works, making this star the most complete r-II object studied, with a total of 37 detections of n-capture elements. We also present the first NLTE+3D lead abundance in this star. The results provide improved constraints on the nature of the r-process.

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Origin of the heavy elements in HD 140283. Measurement of europium abundance

HD 140283 is a nearby (V=7.7) subgiant metal-poor star, extensively analysed in the literature. Although many spectra have been obtained for this star, none showed a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio high enough to enable a very accurate derivation of abundances from weak lines. The detection of europium proves that the neutron-capture elements in this star originate in the r-process, and not in the s-process, as recently claimed in the literature. Based on the OSMARCS 1D LTE atmospheric model and with a consistent approach based on the spectrum synthesis code Turbospectrum, we measured the europium lines at 4129 Å and 4205 Å, taking into account the hyperfine structure of the transitions. The spectrum, obtained with a long exposure time of seven hours at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), has a resolving power of 81000 and a S/N ratio of 800 at 4100 Å. We were able to determine the abundance A(Eu)=-2.35 dex, compatible with the value predicted for the europium from the r-process. The abundance ratio [Eu/Ba]=+0.58 dex agrees with the trend observed in metal-poor stars and is also compatible with a strong r-process contribution to the origin of the neutron-capture elements in HD 140283.

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Milky Way demographics with the VVV survey. I. The 84-million star colour-magnitude diagram of the Galactic bulge

The Milky Way (MW) bulge is a fundamental Galactic component for understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, in particular our own. The ESO Public Survey VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea is a deep near-IR survey mapping the Galactic bulge and southern plane. Data taken during 2010-11 covered 315 deg2 in the bulge area in the JHKs bands. We used VVV data for the whole bulge area as a single and homogeneous data set to build for the first time a single colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) for the entire Galactic bulge. Photometric data in the JHKs bands were combined to produce a single and huge data set containing 173.1M+ sources in the three bands. Selecting only the data points flagged as stellar, the total number of sources is 84.0M+. We built the largest CMDs published up to date, containing 173.1+ million sources for all data points, and more than 84.0 million sources accounting for the stellar sources only. The CMD has a complex shape, mostly owing to the complexity of the stellar population and the effects of extinction and reddening towards the Galactic centre. The red clump (RC) giants are seen double in magnitude at b ~ -8-10 deg, while in the inner part (b ~ 3deg) they appear to be spreading in colour, or even splitting into a secondary peak. The analysis of the outermost bulge area reveals a well-defined sequence of late K and M dwarfs, seen at (J-Ks) ~ 0.7-0.9 mag and Ks~14 mag. The interpretation of the CMD yields important information about the MW bulge, showing the fingerprint of its structure and content. We report a well-defined red dwarf sequence in the outermost bulge, which is important for the planetary transit searches of VVV. The double RC in magnitude seen in the outer bulge is the signature of the X-shaped MW bulge, while the spreading of the RC in colour are caused by reddening effects.

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Multi-Object Spectroscopy with the European ELT: Scientific synergies between EAGLE & EVE

The EAGLE and EVE Phase A studies for instruments for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) originated from related top-level scientific questions, but employed different (yet complementary) methods to deliver the required observations. We re-examine the motivations for a multi-object spectrograph (MOS) on the E-ELT and present a unified set of requirements for a versatile instrument. Such a MOS would exploit the excellent spatial resolution in the near-infrared envisaged for EAGLE, combined with aspects of the spectral coverage and large multiplex of EVE. We briefly discuss the top-level systems which could satisfy these requirements in a single instrument at one of the Nasmyth foci of the E-ELT.

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VVV DR1: The First Data Release of the Milky Way Bulge and Southern Plane from the Near-Infrared ESO Public Survey VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea

The ESO Public Survey VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) started in 2010. VVV targets 562 sq. deg in the Galactic bulge and an adjacent plane region and is expected to run for ~5 years. In this paper we describe the progress of the survey observations in the first observing season, the observing strategy and quality of the data obtained. The observations are carried out on the 4-m VISTA telescope in the ZYJHKs filters. In addition to the multi-band imaging the variability monitoring campaign in the Ks filter has started. Data reduction is carried out using the pipeline at the Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit. The photometric and astrometric calibration is performed via the numerous 2MASS sources observed in each pointing. The first data release contains the aperture photometry and astrometric catalogues for 348 individual pointings in the ZYJHKs filters taken in the 2010 observing season. The typical image quality is ~0.9-1.0". The stringent photometric and image quality requirements of the survey are satisfied in 100% of the JHKs images in the disk area and 90% of the JHKs images in the bulge area. The completeness in the Z and Y images is 84% in the disk, and 40% in the bulge. The first season catalogues contain 1.28x10^8 stellar sources in the bulge and 1.68x10^8 in the disk area detected in at least one of the photometric bands. The combined, multi-band catalogues contain more than 1.63x10^8 stellar sources. About 10% of these are double detections due to overlapping adjacent pointings. These overlapping multiple detections are used to characterise the quality of the data. The images in the JHKs bands extend typically ~4 mag deeper than 2MASS. The magnitude limit and photometric quality depend strongly on crowding in the inner Galactic regions. The astrometry for Ks=15-18 mag has rms ~35-175 mas.

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Analysis of old very metal rich stars in the solar neighbourhood

A sample of mostly old metal-rich dwarf and turn-off stars with high eccentricity and low maximum height above the Galactic plane has been identified. From their kinematics, it was suggested that the inner disk is their most probable birthplace. Their chemical imprints may therefore reveal important information about the formation and evolution of the still poorly understood inner disk. To probe the formation history of these stellar populations, a detailed analysis of a sample of very metal-rich stars is carried out. We derive the metallicities, abundances of α elements, ages, and Galactic orbits. The analysis of 71 metal-rich stars is based on optical high-resolution échelle spectra obtained with the FEROS spectrograph at the ESO 1.52-m Telescope at La Silla, Chile. The metallicities and abundances of C, O, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti were derived based on LTE detailed analysis, employing the MARCS model atmospheres. We confirm the high metallicity of these stars reaching up to [Fe I/H]~0.58, and the sample of metal-rich dwarfs can be kinematically subclassified in samples of thick disk, thin disk, and intermediate stellar populations. All sample stars show solar α-Fe ratios, and most of them are old and still quite metal rich. The orbits suggest that the thin disk, thick disk and intermediate populations were formed at Galactocentric distances of ~8 kpc, ~6 kpc, and ~7 kpc, respectively. The mean maximum height of the thick disk subsample of Z_max~380 pc, is lower than for typical thick disk stars. A comparison of α-element abundances of the sample stars with bulge stars shows that the oxygen is compatible with a bulge or inner thick disk origin. Our results suggest that models of radial mixing and dynamical effects of the bar and bar/spiral arms might explain the presence of these old metal-rich dwarf stars in the solar neighbourhood.

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The metallicity distribution of bulge clump giants in Baade's Window

We seek to constrain the formation of the Galactic bulge by means of analysing the detailed chemical composition of a large sample of red clump stars in Baade's window. We measure [Fe/H] in a sample of 219 bulge red clump stars from R=20000 resolution spectra obtained with FLAMES/GIRAFFE at the VLT, using an automatic procedure, differentially to the metal-rich local reference star muLeo. For a subsample of 162 stars, we also derive [Mg/H] from spectral synthesis around the MgI triplet at 6319A. The Fe and Mg metallicity distributions are both asymmetric, with median values of +0.16 and +0.21 respectively. The iron distribution is clearly bimodal, as revealed both by a deconvolution (from observational errors) and a Gaussian decomposition. The decomposition of the observed Fe and Mg metallicity distributions into Gaussian components yields two populations of equal sizes (50% each): a metal-poor component centred around [Fe/H]=-0.30 and [Mg/H]=-0.06 with a large dispersion and a narrow metal-rich component centred around [Fe/H]=+0.32 and [Mg/H]=+0.35. The metal poor component shows high [Mg/Fe] ratios (around 0.3) whereas stars in the metal rich component are found to have near solar ratios. Babusiaux et al. (2010) also find kinematical differences between the two components: the metal poor component shows kinematics compatible with an old spheroid whereas the metal rich component is consistent with a population supporting a bar. In view of their chemical and kinematical properties, we suggest different formation scenarios for the two populations: a rapid formation timescale as an old spheroid for the metal poor component (old bulge) and for the metal rich component, a formation over a longer time scale driven by the evolution of the bar (pseudo-bulge).

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Alpha element abundances and gradients in the Milky Way bulge from FLAMES-GIRAFFE spectra of 650 K giants

We obtained FLAMES-GIRAFFE spectra (R=22,500) at the ESO Very Large Telescope for 650 bulge red giant branch (RGB) stars and performed spectral synthesis to measure Mg, Ca, Ti, and Si abundances. This sample is composed of 474 giant stars observed in 3 fields along the minor axis of the Galactic bulge and at latitudes b=-4, b=-6, b=-12. Another 176 stars belong to a field containing the globular cluster NGC 6553, located at b=-3 and 5 degrees away from the other three fields along the major axis. Our results confirm, with large number statistics, the chemical similarity between the Galactic bulge and thick disk, which are both enhanced in alpha elements when compared to the thin disk. In the same context, we analyze [alpha/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] trends across different bulge regions. The most metal rich stars, showing low [alpha/Fe] ratios at b=-4 disappear at higher Galactic latitudes in agreement with the observed metallicity gradient in the bulge. Metal-poor stars ([Fe/H]<-0.2) show a remarkable homogeneity at different bulge locations. We have obtained further constrains for the formation scenario of the Galactic bulge. A metal-poor component chemically indistinguishable from the thick disk hints for a fast and early formation for both the bulge and the thick disk. Such a component shows no variation, neither in abundances nor kinematics, among different bulge regions. A metal-rich component showing low [alpha/Fe] similar to those of the thin disk disappears at larger latitudes. This allows us to trace a component formed through fast early mergers (classical bulge) and a disk/bar component formed on a more extended timescale.

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First stars XIII. Two extremely metal-poor RR Lyrae stars?

The chemical composition of extremely metal-poor stars (EMP stars; [Fe/H]<~ -3) is a unique tracer of early nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy. As such stars are rare, we wish to find classes of luminous stars which can be studied at high resolution. We aim to determine the detailed chemical composition of the two EMP stars CS30317-056 and CS22881-039, originally thought to be red horizontal-branch (RHB) stars, and compare it to earlier results for EMP stars as well as to nucleosynthesis yields from various supernova (SN) models. In the analysis, we discovered that our targets are in fact the two most metal-poor RR Lyrae stars known. Our detailed abundance analysis, taking into account the variability of the stars, is based on VLT/UVES spectra (R~ 43000) and 1D LTE OSMARCS model atmospheres and synthetic spectra. For comparison with SN models we also estimate NLTE corrections for a number of elements. We derive LTE abundances for the 16 elements O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Sr and Ba, in good agreement with earlier values for EMP dwarf, giant and RHB stars. Li and C are not detected in either star. NLTE abundance corrections are newly calculated for O and Mg and taken from the literature for other elements. The resulting abundance pattern is best matched by model yields for supernova explosions with high energy and/or significant asphericity effects. Our results indicate that, except for Li and C, the surface composition of EMP RR Lyr stars is not significantly affected by mass loss, mixing or diffusion processes; hence, EMP RR Lyr stars should also be useful tracers of the chemical evolution of the early Galactic halo. The observed abundance ratios indicate that these stars were born from an ISM polluted by energetic, massive (25 - 40M*) and/or aspherical supernovae, but the NLTE corrections for Sc and certain other elements do play a role in the choice of model.

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First Stars XIV. Sulfur abundances in extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars

Sulfur is important: the site of its formation is uncertain, and at very low metallicity the trend of [S/Fe] against [Fe/H] is controversial. Below [Fe/H]=-2.0, [S/Fe] remains constant or it decreases with [Fe/H], depending on the author and the multiplet used in the analysis. Moreover, although sulfur is not significantly bound in dust grains in the ISM, it seems to behave differently in DLAs and in old metal-poor stars. We aim to determine precise S abundance in a sample of extremely metal-poor stars taking into account NLTE and 3D effects. NLTE profiles of the lines of the multiplet 1 of SI have been computed using a new model atom for S. We find sulfur in EMP stars to behave like the other alpha-elements, with [S/Fe] remaining approximately constant for [Fe/H]<-3. However, [S/Mg] seems to decrease slightly as a function of [Mg/H]. The overall abundance patterns of O, Na, Mg, Al, S, and K are best matched by the SN model yields by Heger & Woosley. The [S/Zn] ratio in EMP stars is solar, as found also in DLAs. We obtain an upper limit on the abundance of sulfur, [S/Fe] < +0.5, for the ultra metal-poor star CS 22949-037. This, along with a previous reported measurement of zinc, argues against the conjecture that the light-element abundances pattern in this star, and, by analogy, the hyper metal-poor stars HE 0107-5240 and HE 1327-2326, are due to dust depletion.

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Discovery of VVV CL001. A Low-Mass Globular Cluster Next to UKS~1 in the Direction of the Galactic Bulge

Context: It is not known how many globular clusters may have been left undetected towards the Galactic bulge. Aims: One of the aims of the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) Survey is to accurately measure the physical parameters of the known globular clusters in the inner regions of the Milky Way and to search for new ones, hidden in regions of large extinction. Methods: Deep near infrared images give deep JHKs-band photometry of a region surrounding the known globular cluster UKS 1 and reveal a new low-mass globular cluster candidate that we name VVV CL001. Results: We use the horizontal branch red clump in order to measure E(B-V)~2.2 mag, $(m-M)_0$=16.01 mag, and D=15.9 kpc for the globular cluster UKS 1. Based on the near-infrared colour magnitude diagrams, we also measure that VVV CL001 has E(B-V)~2.0, and that it is at least as metal-poor as UKS 1, however, its distance remains uncertain. Conclusions: Our finding confirms the previous projection that the central region of the Milky Way harbors more globular clusters. VVV CL001 and UKS 1 are good candidates for a physical cluster binary, but follow-up observations are needed to decide if they are located at the same distance and have similar radial velocities.

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Insights on the Milky Way bulge formation from the correlations between kinematics and metallicity

Two main scenarios for the formation of the Galactic bulge are invoked, the first one through gravitational collapse or hierarchical merging of subclumps, the second through secular evolution of the Galactic disc. We aim to constrain the formation of the Galactic bulge through studies of the correlation between kinematics and metallicities in Baade's Window (l=1, b=-4) and two other fields along the bulge minor axis (l=0, b=-6 and b=-12). We combine the radial velocity and the [Fe/H] measurements obtained with FLAMES/GIRAFFE at the VLT with a spectral resolution of R=20000, plus for the Baade's Window field the OGLE-II proper motions, and compare these with published N-body simulations of the Galactic bulge. We confirm the presence of two distinct populations in Baade's Window found in Hill et al. 2010: the metal-rich population presents bar-like kinematics while the metal-poor population shows kinematics corresponding to an old spheroid or a thick disc one. In this context the metallicity gradient along the bulge minor axis observed by Zoccali et al. (2008), visible also in the kinematics, can be related to a varying mix of these two populations as one moves away from the Galactic plane, alleviating the apparent contradiction between the kinematic evidence of a bar and the existence of a metallicity gradient. We show evidences that the two main scenarios for the bulge formation co-exist within the Milky Way bulge.

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Probing the LMC age gap at intermediate cluster masses

The LMC has a rich star cluster system spanning a wide range of ages and masses. One striking feature of the LMC cluster system is the existence of an age gap between 3-10 Gyrs. But this feature is not as clearly seen among field stars. Three LMC fields containing relatively poor and sparse clusters whose integrated colours are consistent with those of intermediate age simple stellar populations have been imaged in BVI with the Optical Imager (SOI) at the Southern Telescope for Astrophysical Research (SOAR). A total of 6 clusters, 5 of them with estimated initial masses M < 10^4M_sun, were studied in these fields. Photometry was performed and Colour-Magnitude Diagrams (CMD) were built using standard point spread function fitting methods. The faintest stars measured reach V ~ 23. The CMD was cleaned from field contamination by making use of the three-dimensional colour and magnitude space available in order to select stars in excess relative to the field. A statistical CMD comparison method was developed for this purpose. The subtraction method has proven to be successful, yielding cleaned CMDs consistent with a simple stellar population. The intermediate age candidates were found to be the oldest in our sample, with ages between 1-2 Gyrs. The remaining clusters found in the SOAR/SOI have ages ranging from 100 to 200 Myrs. Our analysis has conclusively shown that none of the relatively low-mass clusters studied by us belongs to the LMC age-gap.

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Beryllium abundances and the formation of the halo and the thick disk

The single stable isotope of beryllium is a pure product of cosmic-ray spallation in the ISM. Assuming that the cosmic-rays are globally transported across the Galaxy, the beryllium production should be a widespread process and its abundance should be roughly homogeneous in the early-Galaxy at a given time. Thus, it could be useful as a tracer of time. In an investigation of the use of Be as a cosmochronometer and of its evolution in the Galaxy, we found evidence that in a log(Be/H) vs. [alpha/Fe] diagram the halo stars separate into two components. One is consistent with predictions of evolutionary models while the other is chemically indistinguishable from the thick-disk stars. This is interpreted as a difference in the star formation history of the two components and suggests that the local halo is not a single uniform population where a clear age-metallicity relation can be defined. We also found evidence that the star formation rate was lower in the outer regions of the thick disk, pointing towards an inside-out formation.

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VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV): The public ESO near-IR variability survey of the Milky Way

We describe the public ESO near-IR variability survey (VVV) scanning the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the mid-plane where star formation activity is high. The survey will take 1929 hours of observations with the 4-metre VISTA telescope during five years (2010-2014), covering ~10^9 point sources across an area of 520 deg^2, including 33 known globular clusters and ~350 open clusters. The final product will be a deep near-IR atlas in five passbands (0.9-2.5 microns) and a catalogue of more than 10^6 variable point sources. Unlike single-epoch surveys that, in most cases, only produce 2-D maps, the VVV variable star survey will enable the construction of a 3-D map of the surveyed region using well-understood distance indicators such as RR Lyrae stars, and Cepheids. It will yield important information on the ages of the populations. The observations will be combined with data from MACHO, OGLE, EROS, VST, Spitzer, HST, Chandra, INTEGRAL, WISE, Fermi LAT, XMM-Newton, GAIA and ALMA for a complete understanding of the variable sources in the inner Milky Way. This public survey will provide data available to the whole community and therefore will enable further studies of the history of the Milky Way, its globular cluster evolution, and the population census of the Galactic Bulge and center, as well as the investigations of the star forming regions in the disk. The combined variable star catalogues will have important implications for theoretical investigations of pulsation properties of stars.

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Chemical abundances for 11 bulge stars from high-resolution, near-IR spectra

It is debated whether the Milky Way bulge has the characteristics of a classical bulge sooner than those of a pseudobulge. Detailed abundance studies of bulge stars is a key to investigate the origin, history, and classification of the bulge. The aim is to add to the discussion on the origin of the bulge and to study detailed abundances determined from near-IR spectra for bulge giants already investigated with optical spectra, the latter also providing the stellar parameters which are very significant for the results of the present study. Especially, the important CNO elements are better determined in the near-IR. High-resolution, near-infrared spectra in the H band are recorded using the CRIRES spectrometer on the Very Large Telescope. The CNO abundances can all be determined from the numerous molecular lines in the wavelength range observed. Abundances of the alpha elements are also determined from the near-IR spectra. [O/Fe], [Si/Fe] and [S/Fe] are enhanced up to metallicities of at least [Fe/H]=-0.3, after which they decline. This suggests that the Milky Way bulge experienced a rapid and early star-formation history like that of a classical bulge. However, a similarity between the bulge trend and the trend of the local thick disk seems present. Such a similarity could suggest that the bulge has a pseudobulge origin. Our [C/Fe] trend does not show any increase with [Fe/H] which could have been expected if W-R stars have contributed substantially to the C abundances. No "cosmic scatter" can be traced around our observed abundance trends; the scatter found is expected, given the observational uncertainties.

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