CHEMICAL ABUNDANCES IN 10 RED HORIZONTAL-BRANCH STARS LOCATED IN THE GALACTIC FIELD

High-dispersion spectra of 10 red horizontal branch (RHB) stars of the galactic field were obtained on the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observa tory (SAO) telescope to investigate abundances of up to 22 chemical el ements. This constitutes the largest single high-resolution abundance study of RHB stars located in the galactic field. Abundance trends in the range of - 1.9 less than or equal to [Fe/H] less than or equal to - 0.2 are compared with results for dwarfs and red giants, as well as with theoretical trends. For five metal-deficient stars of the sample, a slight overabundance of oxygen is revealed. The results for alpha-p rocess elements match theoretical predictions; only [Mg/Fe], for almos t all stars, is below the theoretical trend. Almost all stars of the s ample closely follow the solar [Na/Fe] ratio; only for the two most me tal-abundant stars is sodium overabundant by 0.2-0.3 dex. A comparison of the available abundances of atmospheres for the RHB stars with tho se for giants and dwarfs shows a good fit for the iron group elements and for other heavier elements; thus, RHB stars may also serve for Gal actic chemical evolution studies.