3D non-LTE Ca II line formation in metal-poor FGK stars. I. Abundance corrections, radial velocity corrections, and synthetic spectra

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Main Authors: Lagae, Cis, Amarsi, Anish M., Lind, Karin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Lagae, Cis
Amarsi, Anish M.
Lind, Karin
author_facet Lagae, Cis
Amarsi, Anish M.
Lind, Karin
contents The Ca II resonance doublet (HK) and the near-infrared triplet (CaT) are among the strongest features in stellar spectra of FGK-type stars. These spectral lines remain prominent down to extremely low metallicities and are thus useful for providing stellar parameters via ionisation balance and as radial velocity diagnostics. However, the majority of studies that model these lines in late-type stars still rely on one dimensional (1D) hydrostatic model atmospheres and the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). We present 3D non-LTE radiative transfer calculations of the CaT and HK lines in an extended grid of 3D model atmospheres of metal-poor FGK-type. We investigate the impact of 3D non-LTE effects on abundances, line bisectors and radial velocities. We used a subset of 3D model atmospheres from the recently published STAGGER-grid to synthesize spectra in 3D (non-)LTE. For comparison, similar calculations were performed in 1D (non-)LTE using models from the MARCS grid. Abundance corrections for the CaT lines relative to 1D LTE range from +0.1 to -1.0 dex, with more severe corrections for strong lines in giants. With fixed line strength, the abundance corrections become more negative with increasing effective temperature and decreasing surface gravity. Radial velocity corrections relative to 1D LTE based on cross-correlation of the whole line profile range from -0.2 km/s to +1.5 km/s, with more severe corrections where the CaT lines are strongest. The corrections are even more severe if the line core alone is used to infer the radial velocity. The line strengths and shapes, and consequently the abundance and radial velocity corrections, are strongly affected by the chosen radiative transfer assumption, 1/3D (non)-LTE. We release grids of theoretical spectra that can be used to improve the accuracy of stellar spectroscopic analyses based on the Ca II triplet lines.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_10378
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle 3D non-LTE Ca II line formation in metal-poor FGK stars. I. Abundance corrections, radial velocity corrections, and synthetic spectra
Lagae, Cis
Amarsi, Anish M.
Lind, Karin
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
The Ca II resonance doublet (HK) and the near-infrared triplet (CaT) are among the strongest features in stellar spectra of FGK-type stars. These spectral lines remain prominent down to extremely low metallicities and are thus useful for providing stellar parameters via ionisation balance and as radial velocity diagnostics. However, the majority of studies that model these lines in late-type stars still rely on one dimensional (1D) hydrostatic model atmospheres and the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). We present 3D non-LTE radiative transfer calculations of the CaT and HK lines in an extended grid of 3D model atmospheres of metal-poor FGK-type. We investigate the impact of 3D non-LTE effects on abundances, line bisectors and radial velocities. We used a subset of 3D model atmospheres from the recently published STAGGER-grid to synthesize spectra in 3D (non-)LTE. For comparison, similar calculations were performed in 1D (non-)LTE using models from the MARCS grid. Abundance corrections for the CaT lines relative to 1D LTE range from +0.1 to -1.0 dex, with more severe corrections for strong lines in giants. With fixed line strength, the abundance corrections become more negative with increasing effective temperature and decreasing surface gravity. Radial velocity corrections relative to 1D LTE based on cross-correlation of the whole line profile range from -0.2 km/s to +1.5 km/s, with more severe corrections where the CaT lines are strongest. The corrections are even more severe if the line core alone is used to infer the radial velocity. The line strengths and shapes, and consequently the abundance and radial velocity corrections, are strongly affected by the chosen radiative transfer assumption, 1/3D (non)-LTE. We release grids of theoretical spectra that can be used to improve the accuracy of stellar spectroscopic analyses based on the Ca II triplet lines.
title 3D non-LTE Ca II line formation in metal-poor FGK stars. I. Abundance corrections, radial velocity corrections, and synthetic spectra
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.10378