Line formation in solar granulation III. The photospheric Si and meteoritic Fe abundances

Using realistic hydrodynamical simulations of the solar surface convection as 3D, time-dependent, inhomogeneous model atmospheres, the solar photospheric Si abundance has been determined to be log Si = 7.51 ± 0.04. This constitutes a difference of 0.04 dex compared with previous estimates based on the 1D Holweger-Müller (1974) model, of which half is attributable to the adopted model atmosphere and the remaining part to the improved quantum mechanical broadening treatment. As a consequence, all meteoritic abundances should be adjusted downwards by the same amount. In particular the meteoritic Fe abundance will be log Fe = 7.46 ± 0.01, in good agreement with the recently determined photospheric Fe abundance (Asplund et al. 2000b). The existing uncertainties unfortunately prevent an observational confirmation of the postulated effects of elemental migration of metals in the Sun.