Vanadium Transitions in the Spectrum of Arcturus

Abstract

We derive a new abundance for vanadium in the bright, mildly metal-poor red giant Arcturus. This star has an excellent high-resolution spectral atlas and well-understood atmospheric parameters, and it displays a rich set of neutral vanadium lines that are available for abundance extraction. We employ a newly recorded set of laboratory FTS spectra to investigate any potential discrepancies in previously reported V I log(gf) values near 900 nm. These new spectra support our earlier laboratory transition data and the calibration method utilized in that study. We then perform a synthetic spectrum analysis of weak V I features in Arcturus, deriving log ε(V) = 3.54 $\pm$ 0.01 (σ = 0.04) from 55 lines. There are no significant abundance trends with wavelength, line strength, or lower excitation energy.

Accepted for publication in ApJS; 19 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables