The Chemical Compositions of the SRd Variable Stars. III. KK Aquilae, AG Aurigae, Z Aurigae, W Leo Minoris, and WW Tauri

Abstract

Chemical compositions are derived from high-resolution spectra for five field SRd variables. These supergiants not previously analysed are shown to be metal-poor: KK Aql with [Fe/H] = -1.2, AG Aur with [Fe/H] = -1.8, Z Aur with [Fe/H] = -1.4, W LMi with [Fe/H] = -1.1, and WW Tau with [Fe/H] = -1.1. Their compositions are, except for two anomalies, identical to within the measurement errors with the compositions of subdwarfs, subgiants, and less evolved giants of the same [Fe/H]. One anomaly is an s-process enrichment for KK Aql, the first such enrichment reported for a SRd variable. The second and more remarkable anomaly is a strong lithium enrichment for W LMi, also a first for field SRds. The Li I 6707 A profile is not simply that of a photospheric line but includes strong absorption from red-shifted gas, suggesting, perhaps, that lithium enrichment results from accretion of Li-rich gas. This potential clue to lithium enrichment is discussed in light of various proposals for lithium synthesis in evolved stars.

18 pages of text, 8 tables, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in PASP

References in corpus (4)

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