Bibcode
Aguado, D. S.; González Hernández, J. I.; Allende Prieto, C.; Rebolo, R.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 874, Issue 2, article id. L21, 6 pp. (2019).
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4
2019
Citations
53
Refereed citations
47
Description
We present an analysis of the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle
Spectrograph (UVES) high-resolution spectroscopic observations at the
8.2 m Very Large Telescope of J0023+0307, a main-sequence extremely
iron-poor dwarf star. We are unable to detect iron lines in the spectrum
but derive [Fe/H] < -6.1 from the Ca II resonance lines
assuming [Ca/Fe] ≥ 0.40. The chemical abundance pattern of
J0023+0307, with very low [Fe/Mg] and [Ca/Mg] abundance ratios but
relatively high absolute Mg and Si abundances, suggests J0023+0307 is a
second generation star formed from a molecular cloud polluted by only
one supernova in which the fallback mechanism played a role. We measure
a carbon abundance of A(C) = 6.2 that places J0023+0307 on the low band
in the A(C)-[Fe/H] diagram, suggesting no contamination from a
binary companion. This star is also unique having a lithium abundance
A(Li) = 2.02 ± 0.08, close to the level of the lithium plateau,
in contrast with lower Li determinations or upper limits in all other
extremely iron-poor stars. The upper envelope of the lithium abundances
in unevolved stars spanning more than three orders of magnitude in
metallicity (-6 < [Fe/H] < -2.5) defines a nearly
constant value. We argue that it is unlikely that such uniformity is the
result of depletion processes in stars from a significantly higher
initial Li abundance, but suggests instead a lower primordial
production, pointing to new physics such as decaying massive particles,
varying fundamental constants, or nuclear resonances, that could have
affected the primordial 7Li production.
Based on observations made with Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal
Observatory, Chile.
Related projects
Chemical Abundances in Stars
Stellar spectroscopy allows us to determine the properties and chemical compositions of stars. From this information for stars of different ages in the Milky Way, it is possible to reconstruct the chemical evolution of the Galaxy, as well as the origin of the elements heavier than boron, created mainly in stellar interiors. It is also possible to
Carlos
Allende Prieto