The Solar Heavy Element Abundances: II. Constraints from Stellar Atmospheres

Abstract

Estimates of the bulk metal abundance of the Sun derived from the latest generation of model atmospheres are significantly lower than the earlier standard values. In Paper I we demonstrated that a low solar metallicity is inconsistent with helioseismology if the quoted errors in the atmospheres models (of order 0.05 dex) are correct. In this paper we undertake a critical analysis of the solar metallicity and its uncertainty from a model atmospheres perspective, focusing on CNO. We argue that the non-LTE corrections for abundances derived from atomic features are overestimated in the recent abundance studies, while systematic errors in the absolute abundances are underestimated. If we adopt the internal consistency between different indicators as a measure of goodness of fit, we obtain intermediate abundances [C/H] = 8.44 +/- 0.06, [N/H] = 7.96 +/- 0.10 and [O/H] = 8.75 +/- 0.08. The errors are too large to conclude that there is a solar abundance problem, and permit both the high and low scales. However, the center-to-limb continuum flux variations predicted in the simulations appear to be inconsistent with solar data, which would favor the traditional thermal structure and lead to high CNO abundances of (8.52, 7.96, 8.80) close to the seismic scale. We argue that further empirical tests of non-LTE corrections and the thermal structure are required for precise absolute abundances. The implications for beryllium depletion and possible sources of error in the numerical simulations are discussed.

arXiv comment36 pages, 4 figures, submitted ApJ

References in corpus (29)

• The 'Forbidden' Abundance of Oxygen in the Sun
• Line formation in solar granulation: IV. [O I], OI and OH lines and the photospheric O abundance
• A Reappraisal of the Solar Photospheric C/O Ratio
• Up-dated opacities from the Opacity Project
• Constraining solar abundances using helioseismology
• The photospheric solar oxygen project: I. Abundance analysis of atomic lines and influence of atmospheric models
• The "Solar Model Problem" Solved by the Abundance of Neon in Stars of the Local Cosmos
• Photospheric Abundances: Problems, Updates, Implications
• Experimental f-value and isotopic structure for the Ni I line blended with [OI] at 6300A
• Surprising Sun
• The Solar Heavy Element Abundances: I. Constraints from Stellar Interiors
• Solar Carbon Monoxide, Thermal Profiling, and the Abundances of C, O, and their Isotopes
• Lithium Depletion in Pre-Mainsequence Solar-Like Stars
• The solar photospheric nitrogen abundance. Analysis of atomic transitions with 3D and 1D model atmospheres
• Center-to-Limb Variation of Solar 3-D Hydrodynamical Simulations
• Neon Abundances in B-Stars of the Orion Association: Solving the Solar Model Problem?
• Can Enhanced Diffusion Improve Helioseismic Agreement for Solar Models with Revised Abundances?
• Center-to-Limb Variation of Solar Line Profiles as a Test of NLTE Line Formation Calculations
• Determining solar abundances using helioseismology
• Line formation in solar granulation VII. CO lines and the solar C and O isotopic abundances
• Neon Lights Up a Controversy: the Solar Ne/O Abundance
• Numerical Simulations of Penetration and Overshoot in the Sun
• On the solar nickel and oxygen abundances
• Non-LTE Balmer line formation in late-type spectra: Effects of atomic processes involving hydrogen atoms
• Another forbidden solar oxygen abundance: the [O I] 5577 A line
• Line formation in solar granulation: V. Missing UV-opacity and the photospheric Be abundance
• A new approach to the solar oxygen abundance problem
• A Low Solar Oxygen Abundance from the First Overtone OH Lines
• Model Photospheres for Late-Type Stars from the Inversion of High-Resolution Spectroscopic Observations. The Sun

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Solar Chemical Abundances Determined with a CO5BOLD 3D Model Atmosphere
• The chemical make-up of the Sun: A 2020 vision
• Observational constraints on the origin of the elements. IV: The standard composition of the Sun
• Stellar Models with Enhanced Abundances of C, N, O, Ne, Na, Mg, Si, S, Ca, and Ti, in Turn, at Constant Helium and Iron Abundances
• Solar structure and evolution
• Solar oxygen abundance
• The solar photospheric abundance of carbon.Analysis of atomic carbon lines with the CO5BOLD solar model
• The evolution of CNO elements in galaxies
• IPOPv2 online service for the generation of opacity tables
• Ipopv2: Photoionization of Ni XIV -- a test case