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R.C. Peterson (UCO/Lick and Astrophysical Advances)
This report outlines the progress and pitfalls of calculating spectra from first principles in the 2300 -- 3400A region for metal-poor solar-type stars, and how they relate to the derivation of abundances of key species such as oxygen and magnesium. This work is part of a NASA-supported effort with Ben Dorman of Goddard Space Flight Center to develop ab initio spectra suitable for galaxy analysis, and also part of a HST-oriented program with Karel Schrijver of Lockheed Martin to characterize the chromospheric activity of the oldest solar-type stars. The first task has been a reanalysis of the basic stellar parameters of temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity for solar-temperature stars ranging from one-fifth to one-three hundredth solar metallicity, demanding agreement in line strengths and profiles of strong lines and weak, in both optical and ultraviolet, and in the ultraviolet flux distribution. These cross-checks are built in to ensure convergence to a unique solution, or to highlight where standard assumptions are breaking down. Once agreement is achieved for the most metal-deficient stars, the line list used for the spectral calculations is re-examined, and somewhat more metal-rich stars are matched. Abundance results for oxygen from various approaches will be described, from the near-UV OH, 6300A [O I], and near-IR O I lines, and from adopting laboratory versus theoretical versus astrophysical atomic and molecular constants.
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