Differential chemical abundance analysis of a 47 Tucanæ asymptotic giant branch star with respect to Arcturus

This study resolves a discrepancy in the abundance of Zr in the 47 Tucanæ asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star Lee 2525. This star was observed using the echelle spectrograph on the 2.3-m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory. The analysis was undertaken by calibrating Lee 2525 with respect to the standard giant star Arcturus. This work emphasizes the importance of using a standard star with stellar parameters comparable to the star under analysis rather than a calibration with respect to the Sun as in Koch & McWilliam. Systematic errors in the analysis process are then minimized due to the similarity in atmospheric structure between the standard and programme stars. The abundances derived for Lee 2525 were found to be in general agreement with the Brown & Wallerstein values except for Zr. In this study Zr has a similar enhancement ([Zr/Fe] = +0.51 dex) to another light s-process element, Y ([Y/Fe] = +0.53 dex), which reflects current theory regarding the enrichment of s-process elements by nuclear processes within AGB stars. This is contrary to the results of Brown & Wallerstein where Zr was underabundant ([Zr/Fe] = -0.51 dex) and Y was overabundant ([Y/Fe] = +0.50 dex) with respect to Fe.