2002A&A...385..111D

Optical region spectra for a number of upper main sequence chemically peculiar (CP) stars have been observed to study singly and doubly ionized praseodymium and neodymium lines. In order to improve existing atomic data of these elements, laboratory measurements have been carried out with the Lund VUV Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). From these measurements wavelengths and hyperfine structure (hfs) have been studied for selected PrII, PrIII and NdIII lines of astrophysical interest. Radiative lifetimes for some excited states of PrII have been determined with the aid of laser spectroscopy at the Lund Laser Center (LLC) and have been combined with branching fractions measured in the laboratory to calculate gf values for some of the stronger optical lines of PrII. With the aid of the derived gf values and laboratory measurements of the hfs, a praseodymium abundance was derived from selected PrII lines in the spectrum of the Am star 32 Aqr. This abundance was used to derive astrophysical gf values for selected PrIII lines in 32 Aqr, and these gf values were used to get a praseodymium abundance for the HgMn star HR 7775. The praseodymium abundance in HR 7775 was then utilized to derive astrophysical gf values for all observable PrIII lines in this star. The neodymium abundance, derived from unblended lines of NdII in HR 7775, has been utilized to establish astrophysical gf values for observed NdIII lines in the optical region of this star. Selected PrIII and NdIII lines have been identified and studied in a number of HgMn stars and three hot Am stars. The praseodymium and neodymium abundance change rapidly from an approximate 1-1.2dex enhancement for the hot Am stars to 1.5-3dex enhancement for the cool HgMn stars, indicating a well-defined boundary between the hot Am and HgMn stars in the vicinity of 10500K. The enhancement of praseodymium and neodymium in Am and HgMn stars may be explained by diffusive processes active in the stellar atmosphere, while the observed discontinuity might be explained by a thin hydrogen convection zone thought to be present for the Am stars, but absent in the HgMn stars. The absence of a convection zone would cause the diffused elements to gather higher in the atmosphere of HgMn stars compared to Am stars, and explain the observed increase in abundance.