The barium isotopic abundance in the metal-poor star HD140283

Abstract

We derive the mixture of odd to even barium isotopes in the atmosphere of the metal-poor subgiant HD140283 from the analysis of the Ba ii transition at 4554 in a high-resolution high signal-to-noise spectrum of the star. The detailed shape of this spectral line depends on the relative contributions of odd and even isotopes via isotopic and hyperfine splitting. We measure the fractional abundance of odd Ba isotopes by modelling the formation of the Ba ii 4554- line profile with the use of both a classical 1D hydrostatic and a 3D hydrodynamical model atmosphere of HD140283. We interpret the results in terms of contributions by the slow (s) and rapid (r) neutron-capture processes to the isotopic mix. While the result of the 1D analysis of the Ba ii feature indicates a 64 36% contribution of the r-process to the isotopic mix, the 3D analysis points toward a mere 15 34% contribution from this process, that is consistent with a solar-like mixture of barium isotopes. © Astronomical Society of Australia 2009.