The R-Process Alliance: Chemical Abundances for a Trio of r-process-enhanced Stars—One Strong, One Moderate, and One Mild

Abstract

We present detailed chemical abundances of three new bright (V ∼ 11), extremely metal-poor ([Fe/H] ∼ -3.0), r-process-enhanced halo red giants based on high-resolution, high-S/N Magellan/MIKE spectra. We measured abundances for 20-25 neutron-capture elements in each of our stars. J1432-4125 is among the most r-process-rich r-II stars, with [Eu/Fe] = +1.44 ± 0.11. J2005-3057 is an r-I star with [Eu/Fe] = +0.94 ± 0.07. J0858-0809 has [Eu/Fe] = +0.23 ± 0.05 and exhibits a carbon abundance corrected for an evolutionary status of [C/Fe]_corr = +0.76, thus adding to the small number of known carbon-enhanced r-process stars. All three stars show remarkable agreement with the scaled solar r-process pattern for elements above Ba, consistent with enrichment of the birth gas cloud by a neutron star merger. The abundances for Sr, Y, and Zr, however, deviate from the scaled solar pattern. This indicates that more than one distinct r-process site might be responsible for the observed neutron-capture element abundance pattern. Thorium was detected in J1432-4125 and J2005-3057. Age estimates for J1432-4125 and J2005-3057 were adopted from one of two sets of initial production ratios each by assuming the stars are old. This yielded individual ages of 12 ± 6 Gyr and 10 ± 6 Gyr, respectively.

This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. Based on observations at Kitt Peak National Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO Prop. IDs: 14A-0323), which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. The authors are honored to be permitted to conduct astronomical research on Iolkam Du’ag (Kitt Peak), a mountain with particular significance to the Tohono O’odham. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory (Prop. IDs: GS-2015A-Q-205), which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina), and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil). Based on observations collected at the European Organisation. for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programme(s) 092.D-0308(A).