THE ABUNDANCE OF FLUORINE IN THE HYADES, NGC 752, AND M67

The abundance of fluorine is determined from the 2.3358 mu m feature of the molecule HF for several giants in the Hyades, NGC 752, and M67 open clusters from spectra obtained with the Phoenix IR spectrometer on the 2.1 m telescope at Kitt Peak. The abundance of fluorine in cluster giants is consistent with that observed in field stars, and may indicate that stars with super-solar metallicities and young ages may be enhanced in fluorine by perhaps 0.2-0.3 dex compared to older or lower-metallicity field stars. Multiple sources probably contribute to the fluorine abundance in the Galactic disk, although the relative contributions of possible sources remain uncertain. Fluorine production in asymptotic giant branch stars, however, is unlikely to be the dominant source.