Prospects of Stellar Abundance Studies from Near-IR Spectra Observed
  with the E-ELT
  In 2006 ESO Council authorized a Phase B study of a European AO-telescope
with a 42 m segmented primary with a 5-mirror design, the E-ELT. Several
reports and working groups have already presented science cases for an E-ELT,
specifically exploiting the new capabilities of such a large telescope. One of
the aims of the design has been to find a balance in the performances between
an E-ELT and the James Webb Space Telescope, JWST. Apart from the larger
photon-collecting area, the strengths of the former is the higher attainable
spatial and spectral resolutions. The E-ELT AO system will have an optimal
performance in the near-IR, which makes it specially advantageous.
High-resolution spectroscopy in the near-infrared has, however, not been
discussed much. This paper aims at filling that gap, by specifically discussing
spectroscopy of stellar (mainly red giant), photospheric abundances. Based on
studies in the literature of stellar abundances, at the needed medium to high
spectral resolutions in the near-infrared (0.8-2.4 microns), I will try to
extrapolate published results to the performance of the E-ELT and explore what
could be done at the E-ELT in this field. A discussion on what instrument
characteristics that would be needed for stellar abundance analyses in the
near-IR will be given.
