Thermohaline mixing and the variation of [C/Fe] with magnitude in M3

George C. Angelou, John C. Lattanzio, Ross P. Church, Richard J. Stancliffe, David S. Dearborn, Graeme H. Smith, Christopher A. Tout, Verne V. Smith

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingPaper in conference proceedingpeer-review

    Abstract

    We use observations of M3 to constrain thermohaline mixing. This is done by matching [C/Fe] and [N/Fe] along the RGB of M3. We find our models can explain observations if it is assumed there is a spread of ∼ 0.3 - 0.4 dex in [C/Fe] in the stars in M3 from their birth. We reproduce the full spread in [C/Fe] at the tip of the RGB. Thermohaline mixing can produce a significant change in [N/Fe] as a function of absolute magnitude on the RGB for initially CN-weak stars, but not for initially CN-strong stars, which have so much nitrogen to begin with that any deep mixing does not significantly affect the surface nitrogen composition.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publication11th Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos, NIC 2010; Heidelberg; Germany; 19 July 2010 through 23 July 2010
    Publication statusPublished - 2010 Dec 1
    Event11th Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos, NIC 2010 - Heidelberg, Germany
    Duration: 2010 Jul 192010 Jul 23

    Publication series

    NameProceedings of Science

    Conference

    Conference11th Symposium on Nuclei in the Cosmos, NIC 2010
    Country/TerritoryGermany
    CityHeidelberg
    Period2010/07/192010/07/23

    Subject classification (UKÄ)

    • Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

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