2012ApJ...744..195C -
Astrophys. J., 744, 195 (2012/January-2)
Carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars in the inner and outer halo components of the Milky Way.
CAROLLO D., BEERS T.C., BOVY J., SIVARANI T., NORRIS J.E., FREEMAN K.C., AOKI W., LEE Y.S. and KENNEDY C.R.
Abstract (from CDS):
Carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars in the halo components of the Milky Way are explored, based on accurate determinations of the carbon-to-iron ([C/Fe]) abundance ratios and kinematic quantities for over 30,000 calibration stars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Using our present criterion that low-metallicity stars exhibiting [C/Fe] ratios ("carbonicity") in excess of [C/Fe] =+0.7 are considered CEMP stars, the global frequency of CEMP stars in the halo system for [Fe/H] ←1.5 is 8%, for [Fe/H] ←2.0 it is 12%, and for [Fe/H] ←2.5 it is 20%. We also confirm a significant increase in the level of carbon enrichment with declining metallicity, growing from < [C/Fe] > ~+1.0 at [Fe/H] =-1.5 to < [C/Fe] > ~+1.7 at [Fe/H] =-2.7. The nature of the carbonicity distribution function (CarDF) changes dramatically with increasing distance above the Galactic plane,|Z|. For|Z| <5 kpc, relatively few CEMP stars are identified. For distances|Z| >5 kpc, the CarDF exhibits a strong tail toward high values, up to [C/Fe] > +3.0. We also find a clear increase in the CEMP frequency with|Z|. For stars with -2.0 < [Fe/H] ←1.5, the frequency grows from 5% at|Z| ∼2 kpc to 10% at|Z| ∼10 kpc. For stars with [Fe/H] ←2.0, the frequency grows from 8% at|Z| ∼2 kpc to 25% at|Z| ∼10 kpc. For stars with -2.0 < [Fe/H] ←1.5, the mean carbonicity is < [C/Fe] > ~+1.0 for 0 kpc <|Z| < 10 kpc, with little dependence on|Z|; for [Fe/H] ←2.0, < [C/Fe] > ~+1.5, again roughly independent of|Z|. Based on a statistical separation of the halo components in velocity space, we find evidence for a significant contrast in the frequency of CEMP stars between the inner- and outer-halo components–the outer halo possesses roughly twice the fraction of CEMP stars as the inner halo. The carbonicity distribution also differs between the inner-halo and outer-halo components–the inner halo has a greater portion of stars with modest carbon enhancement ([C/Fe] ~+0.5]); the outer halo has a greater portion of stars with large enhancements ([C/Fe] ~+2.0), although considerable overlap still exists. We interpret these results as due to the possible presence of additional astrophysical sources of carbon production associated with outer-halo stars, beyond the asymptotic giant-branch source that may dominate for inner-halo stars, with implications for the progenitors of these populations.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
Galaxy: evolution - Galaxy: formation - Galaxy: halo - Galaxy: structure - methods: data analysis - stars: abundances - surveys
CDS comments:
Table 1: SDSS J071105.4+670128.2 is a misprint for SDSS J071105.43+670228.2.
Simbad objects:
35
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