Red giant branch stars

We have also measured the lithium abundances in the samples of unmixed and mixed stars [6]. When low mass stars, such as those in our sample, evolve through the red giant branch, the degree of dilution of the lithium increases as the convective zone penetrates deeper and thus we expect a decline of the lithium abundance. In the mixed stars the lithium has never been detected, the upper limit of the lithium abundance is log N(Li) < 0.0, on the contrary in all the unmixed stars but one, the lithium line is visible and log N(Li) is > 0.20. In these stars as expected, the lithium abundance decreases when the gravity decreases (Fig. 3-b). 

The DART large programme at ESO made v ei and [Fe/H] measurements from FLAMES spectroscopy of 401 red giant branch (RGB) stars in the Sculptor (Scl) dSph [6]. The relatively high signal/noise, S/N ( 10-20 per pixel) resulted in both accurate metallicities ( 0.1 dex from internal errors) and radial velocities ( 2 km/s). This is the first time that a large sample of accurate velocities and metallicities have been measured in a dwarf galaxy. 

Abstract. We present preliminary iron abundances and a element (Ca, Mg) abundance ratios for a sample of 22 Red Giant Branch (RGB) Stars in the Sagittarius galaxy (Sgr), selected near the RGB-Tip. The sample is representative of the Sgr dominant population. The mean iron abundance is [Fe/H]=-0.49. The a element abundance ratios are slightly subsolar, in agreement with the results recently presented by [2]. 

Extra-Mixing During the Red Giant Branch Evolution of Low-Mass Stars... 

Red giant stars, both in the field and in globular clusters, present abundance anomalies that can not be explained by standard stellar evolution models. Some of these peculiarities, such as the decline of 12C/13C, and that of Li and 12C surface abundances for stars more luminous than the bump, clearly point towards the existence of extra-mixing processes at play inside the stars, the nature of which remains unclear. Rotation has often been invoked as a possible source for mixing inside Red Giant Branch (RGB) stars ([8], [1], [2]). In this framework, we present the first fully consistent computations of rotating low mass and low metallicity stars from the Zero Age Main Sequence (ZAMS) to the upper RGB. 

Smith, V. V. and Lambert, D. L. (1990) The chemical composition of red giants. III. Further CNO isotopic and -process abundances in thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars. Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 72, 387—416. 

Figure 2.3 Dust production and gas mass return rate by different stellar types in solar masses per year and kpc-2 in the galaxy at the solar cycle. Stars produce mainly silicate or carbon dust only in some cases is a different kind of dust material formed, probably iron or some iron alloy (peculiar dust). Many additional dust components with much smaller abundance are formed in most cases (Data from Tielens 1999 Zhukovska el al. 2008). Abbreviations of stellar types AGB = asymptotic giant branch stars of spectral types M, S, or C OB = massive stars of spectral types O and B on or close to the main sequence RGB = massive stars on the red giant branch LBV = luminous blue variables WCL = Wolf-Rayet stars from the lower temperature range Novae = mass ejecta from novae SN = mass ejecta from supemovae.

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