Photospheric aluminium abundances of A-type main-sequence stars

Although anomalous surface abundances are often observed in A-type main-sequence stars (known as chemically peculiar stars; e.g., metallic line stars or Am stars), our understanding about the behavior of aluminium is still insufficient. Actually, even whether Al is overabundant or underabundant in Am stars is not clarified. This is presumably because most of the previous studies employed the Al i 3944/3961 lines with the assumption of LTE, despite that a considerable non-LTE effect is expected in this resonance doublet. With an aim to shed light on this issue, extensive statistical-equilibrium calculations on Al i/Al ii were carried out for a wide range of atmospheric parameters, based on which the non-LTE Al abundances were determined by applying the spectrum-fitting technique to the Al i 3944/3961 lines for 63 A-type dwarfs (7000 less than or similar to T-eff less than or similar to 10000 K) of comparatively lower rotational velocities (v(e) sin i less than or similar to 100 km s(-1)). The following results were obtained. (1) The non-LTE corrections (Delta) are positive (reflecting the importance of overionization) and significantly large (0.3 less than or similar to Delta less than or similar to 1.0 d(ex )depending on T-eff; generally Delta(3944 )< Delta(3961)). (2) By applying these corrections (and indispensable inclusion of Balmer line wings as background opacity), consistent non-LTE abundances for both lines could be obtained, and the serious zero-point discrepancy (considerably negative [Al/H] for normal metallicity stars of [Fe/H] similar to 0) found in old studies has been settled. (3) Al abundances of A-type stars are almost in proportion to [Fe/H] (tending to be overabundant in Am stars) with an approximate relation of [Al/H] similar to 1.2 [Fe/H], which is qualitatively consistent with the prediction of the diffusion theory (suggesting an Al excess in the photosphere of Am stars).