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Creators/Authors contains: "Norris, John E"

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  1. ABSTRACT We present a chemo-dynamical analysis for 27 near main-sequence turnoff metal-poor stars, including 20 stars analysed for the first time. The sample spans a range in [Fe/H] from −2.5 to −3.6, with 44 per cent having [Fe/H]<−2.9. We derived chemical abundances for 17 elements, including strontium and barium. We derive Li abundances for the sample, which are in good agreement with the ‘Spite Plateau’ value. The lighter elements (Z < 30) generally agree well with those of other low-metallicity halo stars. This broadly indicates chemically homogeneous gas at the earliest times. We used the [Sr/Ba] versus [Ba/Fe] diagram to classify metal-poor stars into five populations based on their observed ratios. We find HE 0232 − 3755 to be a likely main r-process star, and HE 2214 − 6127 and HE 2332 − 3039 to be limited-r stars. CS30302-145, HE 2045 − 5057, and CD −24°17504 plausibly originated in long-disrupted early dwarf galaxies. We also find that the derived [Sr/H] and [Ba/H] values for CD −24°17504 are not inconsistent with the predicted yields of the s-process in massive rotating low-metallicity stars models. Further theoretical explorations will be helpful to better understand the earliest mechanisms and time scales of heavy element production for comparison with these and other observational abundance data. Finally, we investigate the orbital histories of our stars. Most display halo-like kinematics although three stars (CS 29504-018, HE 0223 − 2814, and HE 2133 − 0421) appear to be disc-like in nature. This confirms the extragalactic origin for CS 30302-145, HE 2045 − 5057, and, in particular, CD −24°17504 which likely originated from a small accreted stellar system as one of the oldest stars. 
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  2. Abstract We present chemical abundances and velocities of five stars between 0.3 and 1.1 kpc from the center of the Tucana II ultrafaint dwarf galaxy (UFD) from high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy. We find that every star is deficient in metals (−3.6 < [Fe/H] < −1.9) and in neutron-capture elements as is characteristic of UFD stars, unambiguously confirming their association with Tucana II. Other chemical abundances (e.g., C, iron peak) largely follow UFD trends and suggest that faint core-collapse supernovae (SNe) dominated the early evolution of Tucana II. We see a downturn in [α/Fe] at [Fe/H] ≈ −2.8, indicating the onset of Type Ia SN enrichment and somewhat extended chemical evolution. The most metal-rich star has strikingly low [Sc/Fe] = −1.29 ± 0.48 and [Mn/Fe] = −1.33 ± 0.33, implying significant enrichment by a sub-Chandrasekhar mass Type Ia SN. We do not detect a radial velocity gradient in Tucana II ( dv helio / d θ 1 = 2.6 2.9 + 3.0 km s−1kpc−1), reflecting a lack of evidence for tidal disruption, and derive a dynamical mass of M 1 / 2 ( r h ) = 1.6 0.7 + 1.1 × 10 6 M. We revisit formation scenarios of the extended component of Tucana II in light of its stellar chemical abundances. We find no evidence that Tucana II had abnormally energetic SNe, suggesting that if SNe drove in situ stellar halo formation, then other UFDs should show similar such features. Although not a unique explanation, the decline in [α/Fe] is consistent with an early galactic merger triggering later star formation. Future observations may disentangle such formation channels of UFD outskirts. 
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