NLTE analysis of Co I/Co II lines in spectra of cool stars with new laboratory hyperfine splitting constants

TL;DR

This study performs NLTE analysis of Co I and Co II lines in cool star spectra, incorporating new laboratory hyperfine splitting data, revealing significant abundance corrections and implications for stellar and galactic chemical evolution.

Contribution

It provides the first laboratory measurements of hyperfine structure for Co II and applies NLTE spectrum synthesis to improve Co abundance determinations in stars.

Findings

NLTE corrections for Co I lines are up to +0.8 dex at low metallicity.

LTE abundances severely underestimate Co in metal-poor stars.

Increasing [Co/Fe] trend in metal-poor stars suggests overproduction in massive stars.

Abstract

We investigate the statistical equilibrium of Co in the atmospheres of cool stars, and the influence of NLTE and HFS (hyperfine splitting) on the formation of Co lines and abundances. Significant departures from LTE level populations are found for Co I, also number densities of excited states in Co II differ from LTE at low metallicity. The NLTE abundance of Co in solar photosphere is 4.95 +/- 0.04 dex, which is in agreement with that in C I meteorites within the combined uncertainties. The spectral lines of Co I were calculated using the results of recent measurements of hyperfine interaction constants by UV Fourier transform spectrometry. For Co II, the first laboratory measurements of hyperfine structure splitting A and B factors were performed. A differential abundance analysis of Co is carried out for 18 stars in the metallicity range -3.12 < [Fe/H] < 0. The abundances are derived by method of spectrum synthesis. At low [Fe/H], NLTE abundance corrections for Co I lines are as large as +0.6 >... +0.8 dex. Thus, LTE abundances of Co in metal-poor stars are severely underestimated. The stellar NLTE abundances determined from the single UV line of Co II are lower by ~0.5-0.6 dex. The discrepancy might be attributed to possible blends that have not been accounted for in the solar Co II line and its erroneous oscillator strength. The increasing [Co/Fe] trend in metal-poor stars, as calculated from the Co I lines under NLTE, can be explained if Co is overproduced relative to Fe in massive stars. The models of galactic chemical evolution are wholly inadequate to describe this trend suggesting that the problem is in SN yields.