Related papers: LTE or non-LTE, that is the question
Metal-poor stars are crucially important for understanding the early Galaxy, first stars, and the Universe. In this series of papers, we present a homogeneous non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) abundances analysis of 12 elements for…
Atmospheric parameters and chemical compositions for ten stars with metallicities in the region of -2.2< [Fe/H] <-0.6 were precisely determined using high resolution, high signal to noise, spectra. For each star the abundances, for 14 to 27…
The non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) line formation of neutral boron in the atmospheres of cool stars are investigated. Our results confirm that NLTE effects for the B I resonance lines, which are due to a combination of…
Accurate measurements of europium abundances in cool stars are essential for an enhanced understanding of the r-process mechanisms. We measure the abundance of Eu in solar spectra and a sample of metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo and…
Early chemical enrichment processes can be revealed by the careful study of metal-poor stars. In our Local Group, we can obtain spectra of individual stars to measure their precise, but not always accurate, chemical abundances.…
The dominant site(s) of the $r$-process are a subject of current debate. Ejecta from $r$-process enrichment events like kilonovae are difficult to directly measure, so we must instead probe abundances in metal-poor stars to constrain…
Aims. The statistical equilibrium of neutral and ionized silicon in the atmospheres of metal-poor stars is discussed. Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effects are investigated and the silicon abundances in metal-poor stars determined.…
Aims: Aluminium is a key element to constrain the models of the chemical enrichment and the yields of the first supernovae. But obtaining precise Al abundances in extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars requires that the non-LTE effects be…
Abundance ratios in extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars are a good indication of the chemical composition of the gas in the earliest phases of the Galaxy evolution. It had been found from an LTE analysis that at low metallicity, and in…
As one of the most important elements in astronomy, iron abundance determinations need to be as accurate as possible. We investigate the accuracy of spectroscopic iron abundance analyses using archetypal metal-poor stars. We perform…
The copper abundances of 29 metal-poor stars are determined based on the high resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra from the UVES spectragraph at the ESO VLT telescope. Our sample consists of the stars of the Galactic halo, thick-…
A comprehensive model atom for Fe with more than 3000 energy levels is presented. As a test and first application of this model atom, Fe abundances are determined for the Sun and five stars with well determined stellar parameters and…
We report new statistical equilibrium calculations for Fe I and Fe II in the atmosphere of Late-Type stars. We used atomic models for Fe I and Fe II having respectively 256 and 190 levels, as well as 2117 and 3443 radiative transitions.…
We investigate departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) in the line formation of neutral and singly ionised iron lines and their impact on spectroscopic stellar parameters. The calculations are performed for an extensive grid…
Extensive statistical-equilibrium calculations on neutral sulfur and zinc were carried out, in order to investigate how the non-LTE effect plays a role in the determination of S and Zn abundances in F, G, and K stars. Having checked on the…
Neutral sodium is a minority species in the atmospheres of late-type stars, and line formation in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) is often a poor assumption, in particular for strong lines. We present an extensive grid of non-LTE…
We report the detection of an Al II line at 2669.155 Angstroms in 11 metal-poor stars, using ultraviolet spectra obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We derive Al abundances from this…
Non-local thermodynamical equilibrium (NLTE) line formation for neutral and singly-ionized calcium is considered through a range of spectral types when the Ca abundance varies from the solar value down to [Ca/H] = -5. Departures from LTE…
Yttrium (Y), a key s-process element, is commonly used in nucleosynthesis studies and as a Galactic chemical clock when combined with magnesium (Mg). We study the applicability of the previously assumed LTE line formation assumption in Y…
Neutral sodium is an important tracer of the Galactic chemical evolution, a powerful diagnostic of different stellar populations, and the subject of detailed studies of exoplanet atmospheres via transmission spectroscopy. This work aims to…