The CEMP star SDSSJ0222–0313: the first evidence of proton ingestion in very low-metallicity AGB stars?

Context. Carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars are common objects in the metal-poor regime. The lower the metallicity we look at, the larger the fraction of CEMP stars with respect to metal-poor stars with no enhancement in carbon. The chemical pattern of CEMP stars is diversified, strongly suggesting a different origin of the C enhancement in the different types of CEMP stars. Aims. We selected a CEMP star, SDSS J0222–0313, with a known high carbon abundance and, from a low-resolution analysis, a strong enhancement in neutron-capture elements of the first peak (Sr and Y) and of the second peak (Ba). The peculiarity of this object is a greater overabundance (with respect to iron) of the first s-process peak than the second s-process peak. Methods. We analysed a high-resolution spectrum obtained with the Mike spectrograph at the Clay Magellan 6.5m telescope in order to derive the detailed chemical composition of this star. Results. We confirmed the chemical pattern we expected; we derived abundances for a total of 18 elements and significant upper limits. Conclusions. We conclude that this star is a carbon-enhanced metal-poor star enriched in elements produced by s-process (CEMP-s), whose enhancement in heavy elements is due to mass transfer from the more evolved companion in its asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. The abundances imply that the evolved companion had a low main sequence mass and it suggests that it experienced a proton ingestion episode at the beginning of its AGB phase.

Ключові слова

stars, carbon, abundances, Population II, Galaxy, halo

Бібліографічний опис

Astronomy & Astrophysics