The chemical composition of B-supergiant atmospheres

We present new estimates of He/H and CNO abundance ratios in the atmospheres of a selection of B2 supergiants which imply that the C/N ratio in the most luminous Ia stars is close to its equilibrium value. The is also some evidence for more moderate CN abundance anomalies in the B2Ib and B2II supergiants. These results, together with other recent work, imply that the effects of the CNO bi-cycle on the composition of B-supergiant atmospheres are most severe for the more luminous and massive stars. Furthermore, studies of LMC B-supergiants indicate that a small fraction of these very luminous stars are nitrogen weak. This picture is qualitatively consistent with theoretical predictions whenever massive stars perform blue loops in the HR diagram, returning from a red supergiant phase to become core helium burning blue supergiants with atmospheres contaminated by nuclear processed material.