Spectrometric composition of nearby K dwarfs

Abstract

We have obtained relatively high resolution spectra of Northern hemisphere K dwarfs. This is the first spectrometric project dedicated only to K dwarfs. Earlier studies have concentrated on more massive F and G dwarfs. However, these stars have already undergone evolutionary effects, unlike K dwarfs, which offer more accurate information about the evolution of the Solar neighbourhood. We have determined the LTE abundances of 14 elements for 42 stars with initial metallicity range covered by -1.52 < 0.48. We confirm the discrepancy in the abundances derived from neutral and ionized lines. The solution to this problem cannot just be the modification of initial physical parameters, but requires fundamental changes in the modeling of K dwarfs. © ESO 2006.