TY - JOUR

T1 - Abundances of disk and bulge giants from high-resolution optical spectra

T2 - V. Molybdenum: The p-process element

AU - Forsberg, R.

AU - Ryde, N.

AU - Jönsson, H.

AU - Rich, R. M.

AU - Johansen, A.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Aims. In this work, we aim to make a differential comparison of the neutron-capture and p-process element molybdenum (Mo) in the stellar populations in the local disk(s) and the bulge, focusing on minimising possible systematic effects in the analysis.Methods. The stellar sample consists of 45 bulge and 291 local disk K-giants observed with high-resolution optical spectra. The abundances are determined by fitting synthetic spectra using the Spectroscopy Made Easy (SME) code. The disk sample is separated into thin and thick disk components using a combination of abundances and kinematics. The cosmic origin of Mo is investigated and discussed by comparing with published abundances of Mo and the neutron-capture elements cerium (Ce) and europium (Eu).Results. We determine reliable Mo abundances for 35 bulge and 282 disk giants with a typical uncertainty of [Mo/Fe] similar to 0.2 and similar to 0.1 dex for the bulge and disk, respectively.Conclusions. We find that the bulge is possibly enhanced in [Mo/Fe] compared to the thick disk, which we do not observe in either [Ce/Fe] or [Eu/Fe]. This might suggest a higher past star-formation rate in the bulge; however, as we do not observe the bulge to be enhanced in [Eu/Fe], the origin of the molybdenum enhancement is yet to be constrained. Although the scatter is large, we may be observing evidence of the p-process contributing to the heavy element production in the chemical evolution of the bulge.

AB - Aims. In this work, we aim to make a differential comparison of the neutron-capture and p-process element molybdenum (Mo) in the stellar populations in the local disk(s) and the bulge, focusing on minimising possible systematic effects in the analysis.Methods. The stellar sample consists of 45 bulge and 291 local disk K-giants observed with high-resolution optical spectra. The abundances are determined by fitting synthetic spectra using the Spectroscopy Made Easy (SME) code. The disk sample is separated into thin and thick disk components using a combination of abundances and kinematics. The cosmic origin of Mo is investigated and discussed by comparing with published abundances of Mo and the neutron-capture elements cerium (Ce) and europium (Eu).Results. We determine reliable Mo abundances for 35 bulge and 282 disk giants with a typical uncertainty of [Mo/Fe] similar to 0.2 and similar to 0.1 dex for the bulge and disk, respectively.Conclusions. We find that the bulge is possibly enhanced in [Mo/Fe] compared to the thick disk, which we do not observe in either [Ce/Fe] or [Eu/Fe]. This might suggest a higher past star-formation rate in the bulge; however, as we do not observe the bulge to be enhanced in [Eu/Fe], the origin of the molybdenum enhancement is yet to be constrained. Although the scatter is large, we may be observing evidence of the p-process contributing to the heavy element production in the chemical evolution of the bulge.

KW - stars: abundances

KW - Galaxy: abundances

KW - Galaxy: bulge

KW - Galaxy: disk

KW - Galaxy: evolution

KW - solar neighborhood

KW - NEUTRON-CAPTURE ELEMENTS

KW - GALACTIC CHEMICAL EVOLUTION

KW - R-PROCESS

KW - S-PROCESS

KW - HEAVY-ELEMENTS

KW - STAR MERGERS

KW - PROCESS NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

KW - MASSIVE STARS

KW - SOLAR

KW - ORIGIN

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/202244013

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202244013

M3 - Journal article

VL - 666

JO - Astronomy & Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy & Astrophysics

SN - 0004-6361

M1 - A125

ER -