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Description
This paper investigates the peculiar behaviour of the light elements (even, e.e. alpha-elements, and odd atomic numbers) in red giants of the galactic bulge, both in terms of the chemical evolution of the bulge, and in terms of possible deep-mixing mechanisms in these evolved stars. Abundances of the four light elements O, Na, Mg, and Al are measured in 13 core He-burning giant stars (red clump stars) and 40 red giant branch stars in four 25' fields spanning the bulge from -3 to -12{deg} galactic latitude. Special care was taken in the abundance analysis, performing a differential analysis with respect to the metal-rich solar-neighbourhood giant mu Leo, which best resembles our bulge sample stars. This approach minimises systematic effects that can arise in the analysis of cool metal-rich stars due to continuum definition issues and blending by molecular lines (CN) and, cancels out possible model atmosphere deficiencies.
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