Professor Stephen Smartt CBE FRS MRIA

Abstract:

As part of a programme to investigate spatial variations in the Galactic chemical composition, we have been searching for normal B-type stars and A-type supergiants near the Galactic center. During this search we have found eleven peculiar stars, and in some cases performed detailed abundance analyses of them which suggest that they may be at a post-AGB evolutionary stage. The A-type post-AGB candidates show [Fe/H]=-1.0 to -2.0, and [O/Fe]∼+1.4, typical of the post-AGB abundance patterns discussed in the literature. One star, LS 3591 (=SAO 243756), has also been examined recently by Oudmaijer (1996); its spectrum appears to be changing very rapidly, which may indicate erratic mass loss or the incipient formation of a planetary nebula. A B-type post-AGB candidate, LS 4950, has a similar spectrum to a well studied post-AGB star, LSIV -12 111. However, an examination of the line strengths and elemental abundances of LS 4950 show that it is peculiar for both a Population II, post-AGB, B-type star and for a normal, Population I, B-type supergiant. Two other B-type stars, LS 4825 and LS 5112, are either post-AGB stars near the Galactic center or normal B-type supergiants lying well beyond the Galactic center. In addition, several Be-type stars have been newly (or more clearly) identified from our spectra.

Abstract:

Differential carbon abundances (based on the C II doublet at 6580Å) are presented for eight early type stars, towards the Galactic anti-centre. All the stars have similar atmospheric parameters with effective temperatures in the range 25000 - 29000 K and surface gravities between logg = 3.9 - 4.3 dex. The derived photospheric abundances vary by up to 0.6 dex, and with the exception of one star, RLWT-41, the differential abundances are found to be closely correlated with those of nitrogen. This implies that both elements may have been formed by similar mechanisms and that the lack of correlation between the nitrogen and oxygen abundances previously found in this sample is not directly due to CNO-processed core material being mixed to the stellar surface.