We have determined the atmospheric abundances of selected Cepheids in order to study the large-scale chemical inhomogeneities across the galactic disk. The classical Cepheids were selected as probes to study the variation of metallicity in the galactic disk, because of their high intrinsic luminosity, small age and the existence of period-luminosity and period-age relationships. High dispersion spectra of programme stars WZ Sgr, X Sgr, ς Gem, T Mon and S V Mon were obtained using the 102-cm reflector of Kavalur Observatory. The atmospheric abundances were determined by theoretically synthesizing the selected portions of the stellar spectrum and comparing with the observed spectra. In order to compute the theoretical spectrum, the formal solution of the equation of radiative transfer was numerically evaluated with the simplifying assumptions of local thermodynamical equilibrium, plane-parallel geometry and hydrostatic equilibrium. These assumptions are reasonably good for the metallic lines of F-G supergiants and hence the observations were confined to the phases where Cepheids behave like nonvariable F-G supergiants.

The atmospheric abundances of iron-peak elements, Fe, Cr, Ti, Ca and heavier s-process elements Y, Ba, La, Ce, Sm were obtained by synthesizing a selected spectral region in the range 4330 Å — 4650 Å. We derive a radial abundance gradient for iron$$\frac{{d(Fe/H)}}{{dr_{gc} }} = - 0.056 \pm 0.08$$ for the region of galactic disk between 6.7 and 10.9 kpc from the galactic centre (assuming r_gc = 8.5 kpc for the Sun). This value agrees with the one obtained from the general sample of Cepheids for which spectroscopic abundances are available, and also with the existing photometric determinations, but is shallower than the one derived by Luck (1982).

Abundances of the elements derived in the present investigation do not show any significant correlation with atomic number. Also the abundance ratio of s-process elements does not show any correlation with Fe. This lack of correlation for disk population stars shows the inadequacy of simple models of galactic chemical evolution and favours the infall models. Alternately, the evolution of [s/Fe] may be determined by the ratio of intermediate-mass stars (which contribute s-process nuclei) to high-mass stars (which contribute Fe peak nuclei). Thus the different behaviour of halo and disk population may indicate a difference in the mass spectrum of star formation.

Places of formation have been derived for a sample of 23 Cepheids with well-determined atmospheric abundances in an attempt to study the chemical inhomogeneities in the local interstellar medium. The abundance data available for the sample Cepheids is compiled and critically reviewed to adopt the most reliable esimates. We find that the most conspicuous irregularity in the metallicity is exhibited by stars that are born in the local arm or in the interarm region. We propose a scenario to explain these local variations in terms of supernova-induced star formation in interstellar gas enriched by massive stars formed in the density wave.

We present here an extensive list of internally consistent oscillator strengths for Fe I lines. We have compiled and critically reviewed the oscillator strengths existing in literature. An attempt has been made to scale the oscillator strengths derived by different workers to that of Blackwell and his collaborators and prepare a single consistent set of oscillator strengths.

We have calibrated a loggf- log λ- E₁- log I relationship that can be used for calculatinggf values for Fe I lines with nogf values available. We demonstrate that standard error of such a calibration can be considerably reduced by binning the data in 0.5 eV range in excitation potential.

We also tabulate systematic corrections to be applied to the oscillator strengths of Kurucz & Peytremann (1975) for lines belonging to different multiplets

The new spectroscopic observation of MV Sgr obtained at ESO in 1987 July shows enhanced emission lines of He I λ3889, [SII] λ4068 relative to the observations discussed by Jeffreyet al. (1988). The presence of [SII] λ4068 indicates the presence of planetary-nebulae-like envelope around the star. Although the radial velocity of the absorption lines and Fe II emission lines do agree with the velocity given by Jeffreyet al., the [SII] λ4068 and probably He I emission lines appear to behave differently.

Moderate-resolution spectra of the C₂ Swan 0-1 bandhead, the Na I D lines and the K_I resonance lines near 7660 Å obtained at minimum light during the 1988–1989 decline of R CrB are discussed and interpreted in terms of a popular model for R CrB declines. High-resolution spectra obtained at maximum light show blue-shifted chromospheric emission in the cores of the Na I D and the Sc π 4246.8 Å lines

The long period classical cepheid RZ Vel (HD 73502) is known to be a member of an OB association, Vel OB1 in Vela, and a high metallicity is ascribed to it by the photometric work of Eggen (1982). We have done an abundance analysis for this long period (P = 20.4 days) and hence young (age ≈ 1.80×10⁷ yr) classical cepheid using high resolution CCD spectra with good S/N ratio. We have used a detailed model atmosphere method to derive the abundances of the light elements C, O, A1, S and of many Fe-peak elements and a few s-process elements. Our present work indicates near solar abundance for most of the elements for RZ Vel and hence we do not confirm the high metallicity derived photometrically by Eggen (1982) for this star

A detailed spectroscopic investigation of LR Sco which was earlier misclassified as R CrB star is made. Atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances are determined using detailed depth-dependent model atmospheres and line synthesis technique. Most of the elements show near solar abundances.

The strength of circumstellar components seen in Na D lines are used to derive the mass loss rate. Another independent estimate of mass loss rate is made using the observed infrared flux from 1–100Μm. These two approaches lead to nearly the same value of mass loss rate whenM_vis assumed to be – 4.5 for this star.

Two high resolution spectra of the hot RCrB star DY Cen in the red region are compared. The photospheric absorption lines show a radial velocity variation of 12 kms-1 between 1989 July and 1992 May. Emission components to some CII lines present in 1989 are almost entirely absent in 1992. Nebular forbidden lines of [OI], [NII] and [SII] appear unchanged from 1989 to 1992