English

The 12C/13C-ratio in cool carbon stars

Astrophysics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

We present observations of circumstellar millimetre-wave 13CO line emission towards a sample of 20 cool carbon stars. Using a detailed radiative transfer model we estimate the circumstellar 12CO/13CO-ratios, which we believe accurately measure the important stellar 12C/13C-ratios. For those optically bright carbon stars where it is possible, our derived 12C/13C-ratios are compared with the photospheric results, obtained with different methods. Our estimates agree well with those of Lambert et al. (1986). It is shown that a straightforward determination of the 12CO/13CO-ratio from observed line intensity ratios is often hampered by optical depth effects, and that a detailed radiative transfer analysis is needed in order to determine reliable isotope ratios.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0005360,
  title  = {The 12C/13C-ratio in cool carbon stars},
  author = {F. L. Schoeier and H. Olofsson},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0005360},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

Accepted for publication in A&A