Nitrogen excess in slowly-rotating beta Cephei stars: deep mixing or diffusion?

Abstract

We present the results of an NLTE abundance study of a small sample of beta Cephei stars, which point to the existence of a population of slowly-rotating B-type pulsators exhibiting a significant amount of nitrogen-enriched material at their surface. Although the origin of this nitrogen excess remains unclear, an overabundance preferentially occurring in stars with a detected magnetic field seems to emerge at this stage. Full details can be found in Morel et al. (2006).