2008A&A...481..161A

We present new results of our ongoing chemical study of carbon stars in Local Group galaxies to test the critical dependence of s-process nucleosynthesis on the stellar metallicity. We collected optical spectra with the VLT/UVES instrument of two carbon stars found in the Carina Dwarf Spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, namely ALW-C6 and ALW-C7. We performed a full chemical analysis using the new generation of hydrostatic, spherically symmetric carbon-rich model atmospheres and the spectral synthesis method in LTE. The luminosities, atmosphere parameters and chemical composition of ALW-C6 and ALW-C7 are compatible with these stars being in the TP-AGB phase undergoing third dredge-up episodes, although their extrinsic nature (external pollution in a binary stellar system) cannot be definitively excluded. Our chemical analysis shows that the metallicity of both stars agree with the average metallicity ([Fe/H]~-1.8dex) previously derived for this satellite galaxy from the analysis of both low resolution spectra of RGB stars and the observed colour magnitude diagrams. ALW-C6 and ALW-C7 present strong s-element enhancements, [s/Fe]=+1.6, +1.5, respectively. These enhancements and the derived s-process indexes [ls/Fe], [hs/Fe] and [hs/ls] are compatible with theoretical s-process nucleosynthesis predictions in low mass AGB stars (∼1.5M_☉) on the basis that the ¹³C(α,n)¹⁶O is the main source of neutrons. Furthermore, the analysis of C₂ and CN bands reveals a large carbon enhancement (C/O∼7 and 5, respectively), much larger than the values typically found in galactic AGB carbon stars (C/O∼1-2). This is also in agreement with the theoretical prediction that AGB carbon stars are formed more easily through third dredge-up episodes as the initial stellar metallicity drops. However, theoretical low-mass AGB models apparently fail to simultaneously fit the observed s-element and carbon enhancements. On the other hand, Zr is found to be less enhanced in ALW-C7 compared to the other elements belonging to the same s-peak. Although the abundance errors are large, the fact that in this star the abundance of Ti (which has a similar condensation temperature to Zr) seems also to be lower than those of others metals, may indicate the existence of some depletion into dust-grains in its photosphere.