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The chemical composition of carbon stars. The R-type stars
Aims. The aim of this work is to shed some light on the problem of theformation of carbon stars of R-type from a detailed study of theirchemical composition. Methods: We use high-resolution and highsignal-to-noise optical spectra of 23 R-type stars (both early- andlate-types) selected from the Hipparcos catalogue. The chemical analysisis made using spectral synthesis in LTE and state-of-the-art carbon-richspherical model atmospheres. We derive their CNO content (including the12C/13C ratio), average metallicity, lithium, andlight (Sr, Y, Zr) and heavy (Ba, La, Nd, Sm) s-element abundances. Theobserved properties of the stars (galactic distribution, kinematics,binarity, photometry and luminosity) are also discussed. Results:Our analysis shows that late-R stars are carbon stars with identicalchemical and observational characteristics as the normal (N-type) AGBcarbon stars. The s-element abundance pattern derived can be reproducedby low-mass AGB nucleosynthesis models where the 13C(?,n)16O reaction is the main neutron donor. We confirm theresults of the sole previous abundance analysis of early-R stars, namelythat they are carbon stars with near solar metallicity showing enhancednitrogen, low 12C/13C ratios and no s-elementenhancements. In addition, we have found that early-R stars have Liabundances larger than expected for post RGB tip giants. We also findthat a significant number (~40%) of the early-R stars in our sample arewrongly classified, probably being classical CH stars and normal Kgiants. Conclusions: On the basis of the chemical analysis, weconfirm the previous suggestion that late-R stars are just misclassifiedN-type carbon stars in the AGB phase of evolution. Their photometric,kinematic, variability and luminosity properties are also compatiblewith this. In consequence, we suggest that the number of true R stars isconsiderably lower than previously believed. This alleviates the problemof considering R stars as a frequent stage in the evolution of low-massstars. We briefly discuss the different scenarios proposed for theformation of early-R stars. The mixing of carbon during an anomalousHe-flash is favoured, although no physical mechanism able to triggerthat mixing has been found yet. The origin of these stars still remainsa mystery.
| The chemical composition of R-stars
The preliminary results of the chemical analysis of a sample of 22galactic R-stars with measured parallaxes are presented. We have derivedthe C/O and 12C/13C ratios, the averagemetallicity ([M/H]) and the Li abundances. We find that most of thestars have 12C/13C below 20 with nosignificant difference between cool and hot R-stars. The C/O ratioranges between 1 to 2. We obtain a clear separation in the Liabundance between hot and cool R stars, with a mean value of log epsilon(Li) = +0.90 and log epsilon (Li) =-0.50, respectively. Cool stars areof near solar metallicity whereas hot stars show a larger spread,-0.5< [Fe/H] < +0.1. Concerning the possibility of s-elementenhancements, we obtain [Rb/M] > 0 in seven hot stars and in three ofthem (R-hot) the analysis of the 5924 {Å} TcI line might becompatible with Tc detection. However, the detection of other s-elementenhancements is necessary to elucidate the evolutionary stage of thesecarbon stars of which origin is still unknown.
| Hipparcos red stars in the HpV_T2 and V I_C systems
For Hipparcos M, S, and C spectral type stars, we provide calibratedinstantaneous (epoch) Cousins V - I color indices using newly derivedHpV_T2 photometry. Three new sets of ground-based Cousins V I data havebeen obtained for more than 170 carbon and red M giants. These datasetsin combination with the published sources of V I photometry served toobtain the calibration curves linking Hipparcos/Tycho Hp-V_T2 with theCousins V - I index. In total, 321 carbon stars and 4464 M- and S-typestars have new V - I indices. The standard error of the mean V - I isabout 0.1 mag or better down to Hp~9 although it deteriorates rapidly atfainter magnitudes. These V - I indices can be used to verify thepublished Hipparcos V - I color indices. Thus, we have identified ahandful of new cases where, instead of the real target, a random fieldstar has been observed. A considerable fraction of the DMSA/C and DMSA/Vsolutions for red stars appear not to be warranted. Most likely suchspurious solutions may originate from usage of a heavily biased color inthe astrometric processing.Based on observations from the Hipparcos astrometric satellite operatedby the European Space Agency (ESA 1997).}\fnmsep\thanks{Table 7 is onlyavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/397/997
| Reprocessing the Hipparcos data for evolved giant stars II. Absolute magnitudes for the R-type carbon stars
The Hipparcos Intermediate Astrometric Data for carbon stars have beenreprocessed using an algorithm which provides an objective criterion forrejecting anomalous data points and constrains the parallax to bepositive. New parallax solutions have been derived for 317 cool carbonstars, mostly of types R and N. In this paper we discuss the results forthe R stars. The most important result is that the early R stars (i.e.,R0 - R3) have absolute magnitudes and V-K colors locating them among redclump giants in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The average absolutemagnitude MK for early R-type stars (with V - K < 4) hasbeen derived from a Monte-Carlo simulation implicitly incorporating allpossible biases. It appears that the simulated magnitude distributionfor a population with a true Gaussian distribution of mean MK= -2.0 and intrinsic standard deviation 1.0 mag provides a satisfactorymatch to the observed distribution. These values are consistent with theaverage absolute magnitude MK = -1.6 for clump red giants inthe solar neighborhood (Alves 2000). Further, early R-type stars arenon-variable, and their infrared photometric properties show that theyare not undergoing mass loss, properties similar to those of the redclump giants. Stars with subtypes R4 - R9 tend to be cooler and havesimilar luminosity to the N-type carbon stars, as confirmed by theirposition in the (J-H, H-K) color-color diagram. The sample of earlyR-type stars selected from the Hipparcos Catalogue appears to beapproximately complete to magnitude K0 ~ 7, translating intoa completeness distance of 600 pc if all R stars had MK= -2(400 pc if MK= -1). With about 30 early R-type stars in thatvolume, they comprise about 0.04% (0.14% for MK= -1) of thered clump stars in the solar neighborhood. Identification with the redclump locates these stars at the helium core burning stage of stellarevolution, while the N stars are on the asymptotic giant branch, wherehelium shell burning occurs. The present analysis suggests that for asmall fraction of the helium core burning stars (far lower than thefraction of helium shell-burning stars), carbon produced in the interioris mixed to the atmosphere in sufficient quantities to form a carbonstar. Based on observations from the Hipparcos astrometric satelliteoperated by the European Space Agency (ESA 1997).
| The magnitudes, colors and motions of stars of spectral class R.
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1958AJ.....63..477V&db_key=AST
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Einhorn |
| Right ascension: | 08h00m12.22s |
| Declination: | -04°45'28.4" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 11.251 |
| Proper motion RA: | -1 |
| Proper motion Dec: | 4.4 |
| B-T magnitude: | 13.847 |
| V-T magnitude: | 11.466 |
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