We investigate anew the distribution of absolute carbon abundance, A(C) = log (C), for carbonenhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars in the halo of the Milky Way, based on high-resolution spectroscopic data for a total sample of 305 CEMP stars. The sample includes 147 CEMP-s (and CEMPr/s) stars, 127 CEMP-no stars, and 31 CEMP stars that are unclassified, based on the currently employed [Ba/Fe] criterion. We confirm previous claims that the distribution of A(C) for CEMP stars is (at least) bimodal, with newly determined peaks centered on A(C)= 7.96 (the high-C region) and A(C)= 6.28 (the low-C region). A very high fraction of CEMP-s (and CEMP-r/s) stars belong to the high-C region, while the great majority of CEMP-no stars reside in the low-C region. However, there exists complexity in the morphology of the A(C)-[Fe/H] space for the CEMP-no stars, a first indication that more than one class of first-generation stellar progenitors may be required to account for their observed abundances. The two groups of CEMP-no stars we identify exhibit clearly different locations in the A(Na)-A(C) and A(Mg)-A(C) spaces, also suggesting multiple progenitors. The clear distinction in A(C) between the CEMP-s (and CEMP-r/s) stars and the CEMP-no stars appears to be as successful, and likely more astrophysically fundamental, for the separation of these sub-classes as the previously recommended criterion based on [Ba/Fe] (and [Ba/Eu]) abundance ratios. This result opens the window for its application to present and future large-scale low-and medium-resolution spectroscopic surveys.

The recent detection of a binary neutron star merger and the clear evidence for the decay of radioactive material observed in this event have, after sixty years of effort, provided an astrophysical site for the rapid neutron-capture (r-) process which is responsible for the production of the heaviest elements in our Universe. However, observations of metal-poor stars with highly-enhanced r-process elements have revealed abundance patterns suggesting that multiple sites may be involved. To address this issue, and to advance our understanding of the r-process, we have initiated an extensive search for bright (V < 13.5), very metal-poor ([Fe/H] < −2) stars in the Milky Way halo exhibiting stronglyenhanced r-process signatures. This paper presents the first sample collected in the Southern Hemisphere, using the echelle spectrograph on du Pont 2.5m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We have observed and analyzed 107 stars with −3.13 < [Fe/H] < −0.79. Of those, 12 stars are strongly enhanced in heavy r-process elements (r-II), 42 stars show moderate enhancements of heavy r-process material (r-I), and 20 stars exhibit low abundances of the heavy r-process elements and higher abundances of the light r-process elements relative to the heavy ones (limited-r).This search is more successful at finding r-process-enhanced stars compared to previous searches, primarily due to a refined target selection procedure that focuses on red giants.

Context. Detailed spectroscopic studies of metal-poor halo stars have highlighted the important role of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars in understanding the early production and ejection of carbon in the Galaxy and in identifying the progenitors of the CEMP stars among the first stars formed after the Big Bang. Recent work has also classified the CEMP stars by absolute carbon abundance, A(C), into high-and low-C bands, mostly populated by binary and single stars, respectively. Aims. Our aim is to determine the frequency and orbital parameters of binary systems among the CEMP-s stars, which exhibit strong enhancements of neutron-capture elements associated with the s-process. This allows us to test whether local mass transfer from a binary companion is necessary and sufficient to explain their dramatic carbon excesses. Methods. We have systematically monitored the radial velocities of a sample of 22 CEMP-s stars for several years with ∼monthly, high-resolution, low S/N échelle spectra obtained at the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) at La Palma, Spain. From these spectra, radial velocities with an accuracy of ≈100 m s −1 were determined by cross-correlation with optimised templates. Results. Eighteen of the 22 stars exhibit clear orbital motion, yielding a binary frequency of 82 ± 10%, while four stars appear to be single (18 ± 10%). We thus confirm that the binary frequency of CEMP-s stars is much higher than for normal metal-poor giants, but not 100% as previously claimed. Secure orbits are determined for eleven of the binaries and provisional orbits for six long-period systems (P > 3000 days), and orbital circularisation timescales are discussed. Conclusions. The conventional scenario of local mass transfer from a former asymptotic giant branch (AGB) binary companion does appear to account for the chemical composition of most CEMP-s stars. However, the excess of C and s-process elements in some single CEMP-s stars was apparently transferred to their natal clouds by an external (distant) source. This finding has important implications for our understanding of carbon enrichment in the early Galactic halo and some high-redshift damped lyman alpha (DLA) systems, and of the mass loss from extremely metal-poor AGB stars.

We present a detailed abundance analysis of the bright (V = 9.02), metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −1.47 ± 0.08) field red horizontal-branch star HD 222925, which was observed as part of an ongoing survey by the R-Process Alliance. We calculate stellar parameters and derive abundances for 46 elements based on 901 lines examined in a high-resolution optical spectrum obtained using the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectrograph. We detect 28 elements with 38 ≤ Z ≤ 90; their abundance pattern is a close match to the Solar r -process component. The distinguishing characteristic of HD 222925 is an extreme enhancement of r -process elements ([Eu/Fe] = +1.33 ± 0.08, [Ba/Eu] = −0.78 ± 0.10) in a moderately metal-poor star, so the abundance of r -process elements is the highest ([Eu/H] = −0.14 ± 0.09) in any known r -process-enhanced star. The abundance ratios among lighter (Z ≤ 30) elements are typical for metal-poor stars, indicating that production of these elements was dominated by normal Type II supernovae, with no discernible contributions from Type Ia supernovae or asymptotic giant branch stars. The chemical and kinematic properties of HD 222925 suggest it formed in a low-mass dwarf galaxy, which was enriched by a high-yield r -process event before being disrupted by interaction with the Milky Way.

Context. The detailed composition of most metal-poor halo stars has been found to be very uniform. However, a fraction of 20−70% (increasing with decreasing metallicity) exhibit dramatic enhancements in their abundances of carbon; these are the so-called carbonenhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars. A key question for Galactic chemical evolution models is whether this non-standard composition reflects that of the stellar natal clouds or is due to local, post-birth mass transfer of chemically processed material from a binary companion; CEMP stars should then all be members of binary systems. Aims. Our aim is to determine the frequency and orbital parameters of binaries among CEMP stars with and without over-abundances of neutron-capture elements -CEMP-s and CEMP-no stars, respectively -as a test of this local mass-transfer scenario. This paper discusses a sample of 24 CEMP-no stars, while a subsequent paper will consider a similar sample of CEMP-s stars. Methods. High-resolution, low S/N spectra of the stars were obtained at roughly monthly intervals over a time span of up to eight years with the FIES spectrograph at the Nordic Optical Telescope. Radial velocities of ∼100 m s −1 precision were determined by cross-correlation after each observing night, allowing immediate, systematic follow-up of any variable object. Results. Most programme stars exhibit no statistically significant radial-velocity variation over this period and appear to be single, while four are found to be binaries with orbital periods of 300−2000 days and normal eccentricity; the binary frequency for the sample is 17 ± 9%. The single stars mostly belong to the recently identified low-C band, while the binaries have higher absolute carbon abundances. Conclusions. We conclude that the nucleosynthetic process responsible for the strong carbon excess in these ancient stars is unrelated to their binary status; the carbon was imprinted on their natal molecular clouds in the early Galactic interstellar medium (ISM) by an even earlier external source, strongly indicating that the CEMP-no stars are likely bona fide second-generation stars. We discuss potential production sites for carbon and its transfer across interstellar distances in the early ISM, and the implications for the composition of high-redshift DLA systems.

We present high-resolution spectroscopy of four stars in two candidate ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs), Grus I (Gru I) and Triangulum II (Tri II). Neither object currently has a clearly determined velocity dispersion, placing them in an ambiguous region of parameter space between dwarf galaxies and globular clusters. No significant metallicity difference is found for the two Gru I stars, but both stars are deficient in neutron-capture elements. We verify previous results that Tri II displays significant spreads in metallicity and [α/Fe]. Neutron-capture elements are not detected in our Tri II data, but we place upper limits at the lower envelope of Galactic halo stars, consistent with previous very low detections. Stars with similarly low neutron-capture element abundances are common in UFDs, but rare in other environments. This signature of low neutron-capture element abundances traces chemical enrichment in the least massive star-forming dark matter halos, and further shows that the dominant sources of neutron-capture elements in metal-poor stars are rare. In contrast, all known globular clusters have similar ratios of neutron-capture elements to those of halo stars, suggesting that globular cluster do not form at the centers of their own dark matter halos. The low neutron-capture element abundances may be the strongest evidence that Gru I and Tri II are (or once were) galaxies rather than globular clusters, and we expect future observations of these systems to robustly find non-zero velocity dispersions or signs of tidal disruption. However, the nucleosynthetic origin of this low neutron-capture element floor remains unknown.

We report the discovery of a new actinide-boost star, 2MASSJ09544277+5246414, originally identified as a very bright (V = 10.1), extremely metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −2.99) K giant in the LAMOST survey, and found to be highly r-process-enhanced (r-II; [Eu/Fe] = +1.28]), during the snapshot phase of the R-Process Alliance (RPA). Based on a high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), high-resolution spectrum obtained with the Harlan J. Smith 2.7 m telescope, this star is the first confirmed actinide-boost star found by RPA efforts. With an enhancement of [Th/Eu] = +0.37, 2MASSJ09544277+5246414 is also the most actinide-enhanced r-II star yet discovered, and only the sixth metalpoor star with a measured uranium abundance ([U/Fe] = +1.40). Using the Th/U chronometer, we estimate an age of 13.0±4.7Gyr for this star. The unambiguous actinide-boost signature of this extremely metal-poor star, combined with additional r-process-enhanced and actinide-boost stars identified by the RPA, will provide strong constraints on the nature and origin of the r-process at early times.

We present high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy of 42 red giant stars in seven stellar streams confirmed by the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S 5): ATLAS, Aliqa Uma, Chenab, Elqui, Indus, Jhelum, and Phoenix. Abundances of 30 elements have been derived from over 10,000 individual line measurements or upper limits using photometric stellar parameters and a standard LTE analysis. This is currently the most extensive set of element abundances for stars in stellar streams. Three streams (ATLAS, Aliqa Uma, and Phoenix) are disrupted metal-poor globular clusters, although only weak evidence is seen for the light-element anticorrelations commonly observed in globular clusters. Four streams (Chenab, Elqui, Indus, and Jhelum) are disrupted dwarf galaxies, and their stars display abundance signatures that suggest progenitors with stellar masses ranging from 106 to 107 M ⊙. Extensive description is provided for the analysis methods, including the derivation of a new method for including the effect of stellar parameter correlations on each star’s abundance and uncertainty. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.