The Isotopic Abundances of Magnesium in Stars
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Isotopic abundance ratios 24 Mg : 25 Mg : 26 Mg are derived for 20 stars from high-resolution spectra of the MgH A-X 0-0 band at 5140 Å. With the exception of the weak G-band giant HR 1299, the stars are dwarfs that sample the metallicity range -1.8 < [Fe/H] < 0.0. The abundance of 25 Mg and 26 Mg relative to the dominant isotope 24 Mg decreases with decreasing [Fe/H] in fair accord with predictions from a recent model of Galactic chemical evolution in which the Mg isotopes are synthesized by massive stars. Several stars appear especially enriched in the heavier Mg isotopes, suggesting contamination by material from the envelopes of intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch stars.
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Fenner et al. (2003) found that the contribution of AGB stars was essential to explain the Mg isotopic ratios observed in cool evolved field stars.
“Fenner et al. (2003) found that the contribution of AGB stars was essential to explain the Mg isotopic ratios observed in cool evolved field stars (Gay & Lambert 2000; Yong et al. 2003b).”
From The Dawes Review 2: Nucleosynthesis and Stellar Yields of Low- and Intermediate-Mass Single Stars (2014) · cites this paper as Gay & Lambert 2000
Section 4.2 and the Concluding Remarks report Mg-isotope enrichment in particular peculiar stars and attribute it to ejecta from intermediate-mass AGB stars. But the paper does not establish that AGB contributions were essential to explain the ratios in cool evolved field stars generally, nor can this 2000 paper report Fenner et al.’s 2003 finding. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMg isotopic ratios can be obtained using the MgH line.
“It is possible to obtain isotopic ratios for Mg by using the MgH line”
From The Dawes Review 2: Nucleosynthesis and Stellar Yields of Low- and Intermediate-Mass Single Stars (2014) · cites this paper as Gay & Lambert 2000
Gay and Lambert (2000) showed, on the basis of molecular absorption lines of MgH, that r_Mg generally decreases with smaller metallicity.
“While no direct measurement of r Mg ¼ ð 26 Mg þ 25 MgÞ= 24 Mg in QSO absorber was feasible for a long time due to the small separation of the isotopic absorption lines, it was shown (Gay and Lambert 2000), on the basis of molecular absorption lines of MgH that r Mg generally decreases with smaller metallicity.”
From Fundamental constants: from measurement to the universe, a window on gravitation and cosmology (2025) · cites this paper as Gay and Lambert 2000
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“It is possible to obtain isotopic ratios for Mg by using the MgH line (Guelin et al. 1995; Shetrone 1996a,b; Gay & Lambert 2000; Kahane et al. 2000; Yong et al. 2003a,b, 2006; Da Costa et al. 2013).”
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“Gay & Lambert (2000) have shown that the abundance of 25Mg and 26Mg relative to 24Mg decreas with decreasing metallicity.”
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- Authors
- Gay, P. L., & Lambert, D. L.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- ORCID
- Lambert, David L.
- Venue
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Publisher
- American Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2000-04-10
- Volume
- 533
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 260-270
- ISSN
- 0004-637X (ISSN-L)
- 1538-4357
- OpenAlex
- W2011204465
- Cited by
- 82
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 5.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Astrophysical Journal (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (9618414)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Instrumentation › Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
- Keywords
- magnesium isotopes, isotope abundance ratios, stellar abundances, metallicity dependence, galactic chemical evolution, massive star nucleosynthesis, asymptotic giant branch stars, dwarf stars
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