Chemical Composition of Extremely Metal-Poor Stars in the Sextans Dwarf
  Spheroidal Galaxy
  Chemical abundances of six extremely metal-poor ([Fe/H]<-2.5) stars in the
Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy are determined based on high resolution
spectroscopy (R=40,000) with the Subaru Telescope High Dispersion Spectrograph.
(1) The Fe abundances derived from the high resolution spectra are in good
agreement with the metallicity estimated from the Ca triplet lines in low
resolution spectra. The lack of stars with [Fe/H]=<-3 in Sextans, found by
previous estimates from the Ca triplet, is confirmed by our measurements,
although we note that high resolution spectroscopy for a larger sample of stars
will be necessary to estimate the true fraction of stars with such low
metallicity. (2) While one object shows an overabundance of Mg (similar to
Galactic halo stars), the Mg/Fe ratios of the remaining five stars are similar
to the solar value. This is the first time that low Mg/Fe ratios at such low
metallicities have been found in a dwarf spheroidal galaxy. No evidence for
over-abundances of Ca and Ti are found in these five stars, though the
measurements for these elements are less certain. Possible mechanisms to
produce low Mg/Fe ratios, with respect to that of Galactic halo stars, are
discussed. (3) Ba is under-abundant in four objects, while the remaining two
stars exhibit large and moderate excesses of this element. The abundance
distribution of Ba in this galaxy is similar to that in the Galactic halo,
indicating that the enrichment of heavy elements, probably by the r-process,
started at metallicities [Fe/H] < -2.5, as found in the Galactic halo.
