Chemical Abundances in the Secondary Star in the Black Hole Binary A0620–00

Using a high-resolution spectrum of the secondary star in the black hole binary A0620-00, we have derived the stellar parameters and veiling caused by the accretion disk in a consistent way. We have used a Chi super(2) minimization procedure to explore a grid of 800,000 LTE synthetic spectra computed for a plausible range of both stellar and veiling parameters. Adopting the best model parameters found, we have determined atmospheric abundances of Fe, Ca, Ti, Ni, and Al. The Fe abundance of the star is [Fe/H] = 0.14 plus or minus 0.20. Except for Ca, we found the other elements moderately overabundant as compared with stars in the solar neighborhood of similar iron content. Taking into account the small orbital separation, the mass transfer rate, and the mass of the convection zone of the secondary star, a comparison with element yields in supernova explosion models suggests a possible explosive event with a mass cut comparable to the current mass of the compact object. We have also analyzed the Li abundance, which is unusually high for a star of this spectral type and relatively low mass.