AGB nucleosynthesis in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Detailed abundance analysis of the RV Tauri star MACHO 47.2496.8

¹ Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, Departement Natuurkunde en Sterrenkunde, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium e-mail: maarten@ster.kuleuven.be
² Dpto. Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Universidad de Granada, 18 071 Granada, Spain
³ SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland, UK
⁴ Department of Astronomy and Space Physics, Uppsala University, Box 515, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
⁵ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand

Received: 23 June 2006
Accepted: 2 October 2006

Abstract

Context.Abundance analysis of post-AGB objects as probes of AGB nucleosynthesis.

Aims.A detailed photospheric abundance study is performed on the carbon-rich post-AGB candidate MACHO 47.2496.8 in the LMC.

Methods.High-resolution, high signal-to-noise ESO VLT-UVES spectra of MACHO 47.2496.8 are analysed by performing detailed spectrum synthesis modelling using state-of-the-art carbon-rich MARCS atmosphere models.

Results.The spectrum of MACHO 47.2496.8 is not only dominated by bands of carbon bearing molecules, but also by lines of atomic transitions of s-process elements. The metallicity of [Fe/H] = -1.4 is surprisingly low for a field LMC star. The C/O ratio, however difficult to quantify, is greater than 2, and the s-process enrichment is large: the light s-process elements are enhanced by 1.2 dex compared to iron ([ls/Fe] = +1.2), while for the heavy s-process elements an even stronger enrichment is measured: [hs/Fe] = +2.1. The lead abundance is comparable to the [hs/Fe]. With its low intrinsic metallicity and its luminosity at the low end of the carbon star luminosity function, the star represents likely the final stage of a low initial mass star.

Conclusions.The LMC RV Tauri star MACHO 47.2496.8 is highly carbon and s-process enriched, and is most probable a genuine post-C(N-type) AGB star. This is the first detailed abundance analysis of an extragalactic post-AGB star to date.