Abundance Analyses of Field RV Tauri Stars. IV. AD Aquilae, DS Aquarii, V360 Cygni, AC Herculis, and V453 Ophiuchi

Abstract

Abundance analyses are presented and discussed for five RV Tauri variables. Three stars—DS Aqr, V360 Cyg, and V453 Oph—are RV C stars by spectroscopic classification, i.e., metal lines are weak. They are shown to be metal poor with [Fe/H] from -1.0 to -2.2 with normal relative abundances of other elements. By contrast, AD Aql and AC Her are RV B stars with an odd abundance pattern: elements that condense into grains at a high temperatures are underabundant (i.e., [Fe/H] = -2.1 for AD Aql) but elements with a low condensation temperatures are much less underabundant (i.e., [S/H] = 0.0 and [Zn/H] = -0.1 for AD Aql). This abundance pattern is ascribed to a separation of dust and gas in the upper atmosphere of the star. The present analyses with previously published results are used to investigate the systematics of the dust-gas separation in RV Tauri variables. The process is apparently inoperative in stars with an initial metallicity of about [Fe/H] -1.0; RV C stars and similar variables in globular clusters are immune to the dust-gas separation. The process achieves more severe effects in RV B than in RV A stars. The strength of the abundance anomalies attributed to dust-gas separation is not correlated with reported infrared excesses. After correction for the effects of the dust-gas separation, there is no strong evidence from the abundances that evolution along the AGB and experience of the third dredge-up preceded the formation of the majority of the RV Tauri variables.