Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Stellar nucleosynthesi'

This thesis reports the direct measurements of the 22Ne(α,γ)26Mg and 20Ne(p,γ)21Na reactions at astrophysical energies of interest. The 22Ne(α,γ)26Mg reaction competes with the 22Ne(α,n)25Mg reaction which is the main source of neutrons for the s-process in low-mass Asymptotic Giant Branch and massive stars. At temperatures T < 300 MK where the (α,γ) channel becomes dominant, the rate of the 22Ne(α,γ)26Mg reaction is influenced by several resonances studied only indirectly. The first part of this thesis concerns the direct measurement of one of these resonances, Er = 334 keV, which so far was studied only indirectly leading to six orders of magnitude range of possible values for its resonance strength. The experiment has been performed at LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) using the intense alpha beam of the LUNA 400 kV accelerator and a windowless gas target combined with a high-efficiency BGO detector. In the present study, an upper limit of 4.0·10−11 eV has been determined for the resonance strength. Taking into account these results, an up-dated 22Ne(α,γ)26Mg thermonuclear reaction rate was obtained and its role on the predicted 25Mg/26Mg ratio of a 5M⊙ AGBs was investigated. The data show a decrease by a factor of 15 of the intershell 25Mg/26Mg ratio. The 20Ne(p,γ)21Na is the slowest reaction of the NeNa cycle. It determines the velocity of the cycle and defines the final abundances of the isotopes synthesized in this cycle. The uncertainties on the NeNa cycle are affected by the 20Ne(p,γ)21Na reaction rate. The main goal of the second part of this thesis was the direct measurement of the Ecm = 366 keV resonance which dominates the total rate in the temperature range between 0.2 GK and 1 GK. The measurement has been performed at LUNA using the windowless gas target and two high-purity germanium detectors placed at different positions. This measurement allowed to reduce the uncertainty on the strengths of the 366 keV resonance from 18% to 7%. These results were used to update the 20Ne(p,γ)21Na reaction rate.

Progress in the description of stellar evolution is driven by the collaborative effort of nuclear physics, astrophysics and astronomy. Using those developments, the theory of the origin of elements in the Universe is challenged. This thesis addresses the problem behind the abundance of 44Ti and the origin of 26Al. The mismatch between the predicted abundance of 44Ti as produced by the only sites known to be able to create 44Ti, core collapse supernovae (CCSNe), and the observations, highlight the current uncertainty that exists in the physics of these stars. Several satellite based γ-ray observations of the isotope 44Ti have been reported in recent times and confirm the disagreement. As the amount of this isotope in stellar ejecta is thought to critically depend on the explosion mechanism, the ability to accurately model the observed abundance would be a pivotal step towards validating that theory. The most influential reaction to the amount of 44Ti in supernovae is 44Ti(α, p)47V. Here we report on a direct study of this reaction conducted at the REX-ISOLDE facility, CERN. The experiment was performed at a centre of mass energy 4.15±0.23 MeV, which is, for the first time, well within the Gamow window for core collapse supernovae. The experiment employed a beam of 44Ti extracted from highly irradiated components of the SINQ spallation neutron source of the Paul Scherrer Institute. No yield above background was observed, enabling an upper limit for the rate of this reaction to be determined. This result is below expectation, suggesting that the 44Ti(α, p)47V reaction proceeds more slowly than previously thought. Implications for astrophysical events, and remnant age, are discussed. In Wolf-Rayet and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, the 26gAl(p,γ)27Si reaction is expected to govern the destruction of the cosmic γ-ray emitting nucleus 26Al. The rate of this reaction, however, is highly uncertain due to the unknown properties of several resonances in the temperature regime of hydrogen burning. We present a high-resolution inverse kinematic study of the 26gAl(d, p)27Al reaction as a method for constraining the strengths of key astrophysical resonances in the 26gAl(p,γ)27Si reaction. In particular, the results indicate that the resonance at Er = 127 keV in 27Si determines the entire 26gAl(p, γ)27Si reaction rate over almost the complete temperature range of Wolf-Rayet stars and AGB stars. The measurements of spectroscopic factors for many states in 27Al and a shell model calculation of nuclear properties of rp-resonant states in 27Si also allow for testing the structure model.

The detection of γ-rays from explosive astrophysical scenarios such as novae provides an excellent opportunity for the study of on-going nucleosynthesis in the Universe. Within this context, this work has addressed an uncertainty in the destruction rate of the 18F nucleus, thought to be the primary source of 511 keV γ-rays from novae. A direct measurement of the 18F(p,α )15O cross section has provided the opportunity to extract resonance parameters through the R-Matrix formalism. The inferred parameters of populated states in 19Ne include the observation of a broad 1/2+ state, consistent with a recent theoretical prediction, which will have a significant impact on the rate of destruction of this γ-ray producing radioisotope. The 18O(p,α )15N reaction follows similar nuclear and kinematic processes and is expected to occur in the hydrogen burning layers of AGB stars. Resonance widths have been extracted from a direct measurement in the region around a poorly constrained broad state close to the Gamow window. This has produced a new parameter set for future reference and provides new information on the reaction rate. The complex R-Matrix formalism used in these analyses is a crucial tool in the study of nuclear astrophysics reactions, and many codes have been written to implement the complex mathematics. This thesis presents a comparison of two publicly available codes from the JINA collaboration and a code used extensively by the University of Edinburgh. For this, the recent results of the 18F destruction reaction, presented here, have been used. A minor error was found within one of the codes, and corrected. The final parameters extracted, and the resulting cross sections calculations, are shown to be consistent between the three codes. A further γ-ray line of interest at 1.809 MeV, characteristic of 26Al decay, has been observed throughout the interstellar medium. If, however, this isotope is formed in a known isomeric state, its decay bypasses the emission of this γ-ray, thus complicating the interpretation of observed γ-ray fluxes. To this end, an experiment has been carried out, providing proof of principle of a direct measurement of the 26mAl(p,γ)27Si reaction. The calculation of the isomeric intensity is presented here.

In this thesis, the hydrodynamics of massive star interiors are explored. Our primary theoretical tool is multi-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation using realistic initial conditions calculated with the one-dimensional stellar evolution code, TYCHO. The convective shells accompanying oxygen and carbon burning are examined, including models with single as well as multiple, simultaneously burning shells. A convective core during hydrogen burning is also studied in order to test the generality of the flow characteristics. Two and three dimensional models are calculated. We analyze the properties of turbulent convection, the generation of internal waves in stably stratified layers, and the rate and character of compositional mixing at convective boundaries.

La nucleosynthese stellaire du fluor reste a ce jour inexpliquee. Si l'on en croit les taux de reaction admis actuellement, le fluor synthetise au cours de la combustion de l'hydrogene ou de l'helium est immediatement detruit. Nous avons entrepris l'etude spectroscopique des niveaux du neon vingt (participant a la combustion du fluor) situes pres du seuil proton. Nous avons en particulier mis en evidence l'importance d'un niveau proche du seuil proton, qui par des effets d'interferences qu'il induit avec les autres niveaux de meme spin-parite, modifie de facon importante le taux de destruction du fluor au cours de la combustion hydrostatique de l'hydrogene. Les consequences quant a la nucleosynthese du fluor dans les etoiles massives sont examinees. Une nouvelle evaluation du taux de format du fluor au cours de la phase de combustion de l'helium a ete effectuee a la lumiere de mesures recentes de largeur alpha. Les nouveaux taux de reaction que nous proposons permettent d'esperer trouver les conditions de la nucleosynthese du fluor

Texte traduit de: Dissertation--Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät--Kiel--Christian-Albrechts-Universität, 1998. Titre de soutenance : Spätphasen der Entwicklung von Sternen mittlerer Masse : Mischprozesse und ihre Bedeutung für Sternentwicklung und Elementsynthese.

The 14N(p,gamma)15O reaction is the slowest stage of the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle of hydrogen burning and thus determines its reaction rate. Precise knowledge of its rate is required to improve the model of hydrogen burning in our sun. The reaction rate is a necessary ingredient for a possible solution of the solar abundance problem that led to discrepancies between predictions of the solar standard model and helioseismology. The solar 13N and 15O neutrino fluxes are used as independent observables that probe the carbon and nitrogen abundances in the solar core. This could settle the disagreement, if the 14N(p,gamma)15O reaction rate is known with high precision. After a review of several measurements its cross section was revised downward due to a much lower contribution by one particular transition, capture to the ground state in 15O. The evaluated total relative uncertainty is still 7.5%, in part due to an unsatisfactory knowledge of the excitation function over a wide energy range. The present work reports experimentally determined cross sections as astrophysical S-factor data at twelve energies between 0.357 - 1.292 MeV for the strongest transition, capture to the 6.79 MeV excited state in 15O with lower uncertainties than before and at ten energies between 0.479 - 1.202 MeV for the second strongest transition, capture to the ground state in 15O. In addition, an R-matrix fit is performed to estimate the impact of the new data on the astrophysical relevant energy range. The recently suggested slight S-factor enhancement at the Gamow window could not be confirmed and differences to previous measurements at energies around 1 MeV were observed. The present extrapolated zero-energy S-factors are S_6.79(0) = (1.19+-0.10) keV b and S_GS(0) = (0.25+-0.05) keV b and they are within the uncertainties consistent with values recommended by the latest review.
Die 14N(p,gamma)15O Reaktion ist die langsamste Phase im Bethe-Weizsäcker-Zyklus des Wasserstoffbrennens und bestimmt deshalb die Reaktionsrate des gesamten Zyklus. Präzise Werte für die Reaktionsrate sind notwendig um das Wasserstoffbrennen in unserer Sonne besser zu verstehen. Besonders das Problem widersprüchlicher Ergebnisse aus Vorhersagen des aktuellen Sonnenmodells und helioseismologischen Experimenten könnte durch genauer bekannte 14N(p,gamma)15O Reaktionsraten aufgelöst werden. Dafür soll der solare 13N und 15O Neutrinofluss von den beta+-Zerfällen als direkter Informationsträger über die Häufigkeit von Stickstoff und Kohlenstoff im Sonneninneren genutzt werden. Der für die Berechnung der Häufigkeiten benötigte Wirkungsquerschnitt der 14N(p,gamma)15O Reaktion wurde in einer Evaluation verschiedener Messungen reduziert, da der Anteil des direkten Protoneneinfang mit Übergang in den Grundzustand deutlich weniger zum gesamten Wirkungsquerschnitt beiträgt als zuvor angenommen. Die evaluierte relative Gesamtunsicherheit ist mit 7.5% dennoch hoch, was zu einem großen Teil an ungenügendem Wissen über die Anregungsfunktion in einem weiten Energiebereich liegt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden experimentell ermittelte Wirkungsquerschnitte in Form von astrophysikalischen S-Faktoren für zwei Übergänge vorgestellt. Für den stärksten Übergang, den Protoneneinfang zum angeregten Zustand bei 6.79 MeV in 15O, wurden zwölf S-Faktoren bei Energien zwischen 0.357 – 1.292 MeV mit geringeren Unsicherheiten als zuvor ermittelt und für den direkten Übergang in den Grundzustand zehn Werte zwischen 0.479 – 1.202 MeV. Außerdem wurde ein R-Matrix Fit durchgeführt um den Einfluss der neuen Daten auf Extrapolationen zum astrophysikalisch relevanten Energiebereich zu prüfen. Die kürzlich vorgeschlagene Erhöhung des S-Faktors im Gamow-Fenster konnte nicht bestätigt werden und es wurden auch Unterschiede zu bisherigen Messungen im Energiebereich um 1 MeV deutlich. Die neuen extrapolierten S-Faktoren sind S679(0) = (1.19±0.10) keV b und SGS(0) = (0.25 ± 0.05) keV b und sie stimmen mit den von der Evaluation empfohlenen Werten im Rahmen ihrer Unsicherheiten überein.

More than 80% of the stars in the Universe are expected to have initial masses below eight to ten times the mass of our sun. These low mass stars, including our sun, become cool red giants during one of the final evolutionary stages of their life: the Asymptotic Giant Branch (or AGB) phase. AGB stars are among the main producers of carbon and heavy (s-process) elements in the Universe. These elements are synthesized inside the star and mixed to the stellar atmosphere where stellar winds are responsible for the loss of more than 50% of the stellar mass, hence, AGB stars are strong polluters of the interstellar medium. The ejected material can clump together into dusty particles which may serve as ingredients for the birth of new stars and planets. When most of the AGB stellar envelope is lost, the AGB star stops releasing nuclear energy from interior processes and swaps its giant face for a planetary nebulae look, whereafter it fades away as a white dwarf.

The dredge-up of carbon and s-process elements into the AGB atmosphere causes an important chemical anomaly among them: initial oxygen-rich stars (M stars) are transformed into carbon-rich stars (C stars). As a consequence, a group of oxygen-rich AGB stars exists which makes the transition between M and C stars. These transition stars are classified as S.

Although AGB stars are identified as producers of heavy elements, their nucleosynthesis and mixing processes are weakly constrained due to large uncertainties on their estimated temperature, gravity and chemical composition. Stronger constraints on the atmospheric parameter space, hence interior processes, of AGB stars can be obtained by investigating the atmosphere of S stars. Since they are transition objects on the AGB, they trace the rise of the s-process. S stars are less numerous than C stars, but their optical spectra are brighter making it easier to identify atomic and molecular lines. Therefore, S stars belong to the most interesting objects along the AGB to perform this task.

From a practical point of view, the spectra of S stars are extremely difficult to study since they are dominated by different, overlapping molecular bands, and the spectral shape may vary strongly from star to star due to their transition status. Therefore, tailored model atmospheres for S stars are of utmost importance to understand the spectroscopic, and even photometric, changes in terms of variations in the atmospheric parameters. A comparison between the models and observations aims not only at constraining the atmospheric parameter space of S stars, it will also test the reliability of 1D state-of-the-art model atmospheres for such complex stars.

From an evolutionary point of view, the S-star family is contaminated with stars who gained their atmospheric enrichment in heavy elements from a companion star. Evidences were found that these binary S stars are not at all located on the AGB, hence, they are labelled as extrinsic S stars while S stars on the AGB are labelled as intrinsic. The difference in evolutionary stages between intrinsic and extrinsic S stars was already found 20 years ago, however, a separation in terms of surface temperature, gravity and chemical composition is not well-established due to the lack of S-star model atmospheres. Such a distinction in atmospheric parameters will facilitate the discovery of these intruders and even help to calibrate stellar evolutionary models of single and binary stars.

To achieve these goals, the first step consists in the construction of a grid of model atmospheres for S stars. The grid will be used to quantify the influence of atmospheric parameters on the model structure and emergent flux. These results will be analyzed to derive precise atmospheric parameters of observed S stars, using a set of well-defined photometric and spectroscopic indices. Once the best model atmosphere has been selected for all observed S stars, their atmospheric parameters will be discussed in view of their evolutionary stage. The best-fitting model atmosphere will also be used to derive abundances from spectral syntheses. The abundance profiles are compared with stellar evolution model prediction to constrain nucleosynthesis and mixing processes inside S stars. Derived abundances of unstable elements will be used to estimate, for the first time, the age of AGB stars. Finally, their abundance profile will be discussed as a function of their time spent on the AGB.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

In my PhD work I carried out a detailed investigation on the final fates and chemical ejecta produced by intermediate-mass and massive stars. The first part of the thesis is focused on massive and very massive stars. We derive the ejecta for a large number of elemental species (H, He, C, N, O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S Ar, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn) during the pre-supernova evolution and after the explosion or collapse event. We use a set of stellar tracks computed with PAdova and TRieste Stellar Evolution Code (PARSEC), with initial masses in the range between 8 M to 350 M , for thirteen different initial metallicities from Z = 0.0001 to Z = 0.02. Adopting suitable explodability criteria available in the recent literature, for each stellar model we derive the final fate and remnant mass, which critically depend on the initial mass and metallicity. Three main classes of explosion events are considered. Massive stars with initial masses from 8 Msun to 100 Msun , build a degenerate iron core which eventually collapses either generating a successful explosion and a neutron star, or experiencing an inexorable infall with consequent black hole formation (failed supernovae). Very massive objects (VMOs), with initial mass ∼ 100 M , can end their life either as pulsation pair instability supernovae (PPISN), pair instability supernovae (PISN), or directly collapsing to black hole (DBH). For these objects, the fate is mainly determined by the mass of helium-core. From our analysis we derive a general scenario on the fate of massive and very massive stars emerges. It is evident that both the pre-SN evolution and the subsequent SN channel are significantly affected by the initial metallicity, as a consequence of its impact on the efficiency of mass loss and the growth of the stellar core. In particular, we find that suitable conditions for the occurrence of PPISN and PISN events are not limited to extremely low metallicities, as invoked in early studies. Rather, such energetic events may take place already at Z > Zsun /3, hence in the local Universe, in agreement with recent findings in the literature. Once final fates and remnant masses are known, we compute the elemental ejecta for all stars in the grid, accounting for both wind and explosion contributions. The wind ejecta are directly derived from PARSEC stellar evolution models, for all isotopes from 1 H to 28 Si and heavier elements up to Zn. The explosion ejecta are obtained from supernova nucleosynthesis calculations available in the literature, for the three classes here considered(CCSN, PISN or PPISN). Suitable parameters (masses of the CO and He cores) are adopted to link the explosion models to our PARSEC tracks. We also calculate the integrated yields ejected by a simple stellar population with a specified initial mass function in view of comparing the chemical contributions of both winds and explosions from the three classes of stars (CCSNe, PISNe and PPISNe). As a final result of this work, we aim at releasing a large database of chemical ejecta and compact remnants produced by massive and very massive stars over a large range of initial masses and metallicites. These will be a key relevance in the framework of the galaxy chemical evolution studies. In the second part of the thesis we investigate the chemical ejecta of intermediate-mass stars, with particular focus on the thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars that experience both the third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning. This study was performed in the context of the LUNA (Laboratory Underground Nuclear Astrophysics) collaboration. Nucleosynthesis calculations were carried out adopting the new rate for the key reaction 22 Ne(p, γ) 23 Na, which plays a major role in determining the abundance of sodium. To this aim we used the PARSEC and COLIBRI codes to compute the complete evolution, from the pre-main sequence up to the termination of the TP-AGB phase, of a set of stellar models with initial masses in the range 3.0 Msun 6.0 Msun , and metallicities Z=0.0005, Z=0.006, and Z = 0.014. We find that the new LUNA measurements have much reduced the nuclear uncertainties of the tors of 22Ne and 23Na AGB ejecta, which drop from fac-10 to only a factor of few for the lowest metallicity models. Relying on the most recent estimations for the destruction rate of 23Na, the uncertainties that still affect the 22Ne and 23Na AGB ejecta are mainly dominated by evolutionary aspects (efficiency of mass-loss, third dredge- up, convection). Finally, we discuss how the LUNA results impact on the hypothesis that invokes massive AGB stars as the main agents of the observed O-Na anti-correlation in Galactic globular clusters. We derive quantitative indications on the efficiencies of key physical processes (mass loss, third dredge-up, sodium destruction) in order to simultaneously reproduce both the Na-rich, O-poor extreme of the anti-correlation, and the observational constraints on the CNO abundance. While best-fitting AGB models can be singled out, the AGB hypothesis still needs to be validated, as various issues still remain.
Il mio lavoro si occupa dell'analisi degli ejecta chimici espulsi dalle stelle di massa intermedia e massiccia. E' strutturato in due macro-argomenti relativi, rispettivamente, alle stelle massicce e alle stelle di massa intermedia. Nella prima parte, questo lavoro si concentra sullo studio dei final fates e degli ejecta chimici prodotti da stelle massicce e molto massicce. Abbiamo ottenuto il materiale espulso per un gran numero di elementi (H, He, C, N, O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S Ar, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn) sia durante l'evoluzione pre-supernova che durante l'esplosione o il collasso. A questo scopo abbiamo usato un set di tracce evolutive calcolate con il codice di evoluzione stellare Padova and Trieste stellar Evolution Code (PARSEC), con masse iniziali nel range tra 8 M a 350 M , per tredici diverse metallicità iniziali da Z = 0.0001 a Z = 0.02. Abbiamo ottenuto il final fate e il resto di supernova per ciascuna delle tracce PARSEC. Abbiamo quindi considerato separatamente due sottoclassi: le stelle massicce, che vanno da 8 Msun a 100 Msun e si evolvono come core-collapse supernovae; i very massive objects (VMOS), che sono in generale piu' massicci di 100 Msun e, a seconda della massa del core di helio, possono evolvere come pair instability supernovae (PISN), pulsation instability supernovae (PPISN) o collassare direttamente al buco nero (DBH). Dalla nostra analisi si ricava un quadro generale sui final fates di stelle massicce e molto massicce. e' evidente che l'evoluzione pre-supernova e il verificarsi dell'esplosione sono significativamente influenzati dalla metallicità iniziale, conseguentemente al suo impatto sull'efficienza della perdita di massa e sulla crescita del nucleo stellare. In particolare, abbiamo ottenuto che le condizioni nelle quali si verificano eventi di PPISN e PISN non sono limitati a bassissime metallicita', come invocato nei primi studi. Piuttosto, tali eventi energetici possono aver luogo gia' a Z > Z/3, quindi nell'universo locale, in accordo con le recenti scoperte presenti in letteratura. Una volta noti i final fates e i resti di supernova, abbiamo calcolato gli elementi del materiale espulso per tutte le stelle nella griglia, dividendoli in contributi di vento e di esplosione. Gli elementi espulsi nel vento stellare sono derivati direttamente dai modelli di evoluzione stellare PARSEC, per tutti gli isotopi dall'H al Si-28 e gli elementi piu' pesanti fino a Zn. Il materiale espulso e' stato ottenuto da calcoli di nucleosintesi di supernova disponibili in letteratura, per le tre classi qui considerate (CCSN, PISN o PPISN). Sono stati inoltre adottati alcuni parametri (come la massa del core di CO e di He) per adattare gli ejecta di altri modelli di esplosione alle nostre tracce PARSEC. Abbiamo anche calcolato gli ejecta integrati - ottenuti da una semplice popolazione stellare e da una funzione di massa iniziale specificata - in vista di un successivo confronto del contributo all'inquinamento chimico in termini di vento ed ejecta esplosivi dovuto alle CCSNe, PISNe e PPISNe. Come risultato finale di questo lavoro, ci proponiamo di fornire un ampio database di ejecta chimici e resti di supernova prodotti da stelle massicce e molto massicce in un ampio intervallo di masse iniziali e metallicita' . Questi potreanno essere utilizzati nell'ambito dell' evoluzione chimica delle galassie. La seconda parte di questo lavoro si occupa dell'analisi del materiale espulso da stelle di massa intermedia, con particolare attenzione alle stelle nella fase di "thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch" (TP-AGB), in cui ha luogo il processo di "hot-bottom burning". Questo lavoro e' stato svolto in collaborazione con LUNA (Linear Underground National Laboratory), che ha fornito una nuova misura della sezione d'urto per la reazione 22Ne(p,gamma)23Na. A questo scopo sono stati utlilizzati i codici di evoluzione stellare PARSEC e COLIBRI per completare l'evoluzione stellare dalla pre-main sequence alla fine della fase TP-AGB, per un set di modelli con massa iniziale nell'intervallo 3.0 Msun-6.0 Msun e metallicità iniziali Z = 0.0005, Z = 0.006, and Z = 0.014. Grazie alla misura di sezione d'urto fornita dalla collaborazione LUNA abbiamo ridotto l'incertezza sugli ejecta di 22Ne e 23Na, abbassandola da un fattore 10 a poche unita'  per le metellicita'  piu' basse. Basandosi sulle piu' recenti stime della sezone d'urto della reazione siamo affermare che le incertezze influenti sulle quantita' di 22Ne e 23Na espulse sono perlopiu' dominate da aspetti evolutivi (come l'efficienza della mass loss, il terzo dredge-up e la convezione). Infine, abbiamo discusso il modo in cui i risultati di LUNA impattano sull'impotesi che pone le stelle AGB come principali responabili dell'anticorrelazione O-Na osservata negli ammassi globulari Galattici. Abbiamo deriveato quantitativamente l'efficienza dei processi fisici principali (mass loss, terzo dredge-up, distruzione del Na) al fine di riprodurre le situazioni estreme dell'anticorrelazione O-Na, e i vincoli dati dalle osservazioni sull'abbondanza deli elementi C,N e O. Nonostante siano stati individuate prescrizioni fisiche ragionevoli che consentono di soddisfare tali vincoli, l'ipotesi che attribuisce alle stelle AGB la causa dell'anticorrelazione O-Na deve essere ancora convalidata, a causa di problematiche non ancora risolte.

The discovery of the Spite plateau in the abundances of 7Li for metal-poor stars led to the determination of an observationally deduced primordial lithium abundance. However, with the determination of the baryon density, Omega_B_h^2, from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) data, a discrepancy arose between observationally determined and theoretically determined abundances of 7Li. This is what has become known as the “lithium problem”. Of all the uncertain factors in determining a stellar Li abundance, the effective temperature is the most important. This thesis is concerned with determining an accurate effective temperature scale for metal-poor halo dwarfs, paying specific attention to eliminating any possible systematic errors. This is done by utilising the exponential term, Chi/T, of the Boltzmann equation. Two assumptions are adopted; firstly the simplifying assumptions of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), and secondly the more sophisticated techniques of non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE). The temperature scales are compared to others derived using different techniques; a photometric scale, where I find comparable Teff in LTE and hotter temperatures by an average of ~ 150 K in NLTE; a scale derived using Balmer lines, for which I have comparable values in LTE and hotter Teff values, by typically 110 K – 160 K, in NLTE; and finally a scale derived using an infrared flux method (IRFM). Here I find their Teff values are hotter by ~ 250 K for LTE and ~ 190 K in NLTE. Lithium abundances are then calculated for the program stars and a mean Li abundance is derived. I find values ranging from A(Li) = 2.10 dex – 2.16 dex with the LTE scales and A(Li) = 2.19 dex – 2.21 dex for the NLTE scales. These mean Li abundances are compared to other observationally deduced abundances, for which I find comparable results in LTE and higher values in NLTE, and to the WMAP + big bang nucleosynthesis calculated Li abundance. I find that my new values are still considerably lower than the WMAP value and are therefore unable to reconcile the lithium problem. Second to this primary investigation, I use Ti as an independent test of the derived Teff values and log g’s. I find that Ti is not a useful constraint on the temperatures or, therefore, on the lithium problem. I also assess the impact of the new Teff scales on the different models of Galactic chemical evolution (GCE), comparing newly calculated abundances with GCE determined abundances. It was found that trends exist in several of the elements; however, these were not statistically relevant. Also a larger degree of scatter was found in the abundances compared to the Arnone et al. (2005). This scatter was not to the degree found in the Argast et al. (2000). Reasons for the differences have been discussed.

Carbon is the basis for life, as we know it, but its origin is still largely unclear. Carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars (carbon stars) play an important rôle in the cosmic matter cycle and may contribute most of the carbon in the Galaxy. In this thesis it is explored how the dust-driven mass loss of these stars depends on the basic stellar parameters by computing a large grid of wind models. The existence of a critical wind regime and mass-loss thresholds for dust-driven winds are confirmed. Furthermore, a steep dependence of mass loss on carbon excess is found. Exploratory work on the effects of different stellar metallicities and the sizes of dust grains shows that strong dust-driven winds develop also at moderately low metallicities, and that typical sizes of dust grains affect the wind properties near a mass-loss threshold. It is demonstrated that the mass-loss rates obtained with the wind models have dramatic consequences when used in models of carbon-star evolution. A pronounced superwind develops soon after the star becomes carbon rich, and it therefore experiences only a few thermal pulses as a carbon star before the envelope is lost. The number of dredge-up events and the thermal pulses is limited by a self-regulating mechanism: each thermal pulse dredges up carbon, which increases the carbon excess and hence also the mass-loss rate. In turn, this limits the number of thermal pulses. The mass-loss evolution during a thermal pulse (He-shell flash) is considered as an explanation of the observations of so-called detached shells around carbon stars. By combining models of dust-driven winds with a stellar evolution model, and a simple hydrodynamic model of the circumstellar envelope, it is shown that wind properties change character during a He-shell flash such that a thin detached gas shell can form by wind-wind interaction. Finally, it is suggested that carbon stars are responsible for much of the carbon in the interstellar medium, but a scenario where high-mass stars are major carbon producers cannot be excluded. In either case, however, the carbon abundances of the outer Galactic disc are relatively low, and most of the carbon has been released quite recently. Thus, there may neither be enough carbon, nor enough time, for more advanced carbon-based life to emerge in the outer Galaxy. This lends some support to the idea that only the mid-part of the Galactic disc can be a “Galactic habitable zone”, since the inner parts of the Galaxy are plagued by frequent supernova events that are presumably harmful to all forms of life.

La première partie de ce travail concerne la recherche de nouvelles molécules interstellaires et circumstellaires. Après une description des divers hamiltoniens utilisés pour le calcul des fréquences des spectres moléculaires dans le domaine des ondes millimétriques,elle expose la recherche et la détection de nouvelles molécules, à l'aide d'observations réalisées avec le radiotélescope de 30m de l 'IRAM, ainsi que la couverture spectrale, effectuée à 2mm et 3mm, de l'émission de l'enveloppe circumstellaire IRC+ 10216. La deuxième partie de ce travail est consacrée à la détermination de rapports d'abondances isotopiques dans des enveloppes circumstellaires de Géantes Rouges, à partir d'observations millimétriques de raies moléculaires. Les rapports isotopiques du carbone, de l'azote, du soufre et du silicium sont mesurés dans l'enveloppe d'une étoile carbonée, IRC+10216; ceux du carbone, dans quatre enveloppes d'étoiles de type J (Y CVn, RY Dra, T Lyr, et WZ Cas); ceux de l'oxygène, dans deux étoiles carbonées (CIT6 et IRC+10216), deux pre-nébuleuses planétaires (CRL618 et CRL2688) et une nébuleuse planétaire (NGC7027). Les rapports isotopiques ainsi mesurés sont comparés aux valeurs déduites d'observations infrarouge, ainsi qu'aux prédictions des modèles théoriques des processus de nucléosynthèse et de mélange dans les étoiles de type Géantes Rouges.

Tracing the element enrichment in the Universe requires to understand the element production in stellar models which is not well understood, in particular at low metallicity. In this thesis a variety of nucleosynthesis processes in stellar models across initial masses and metallicities is investigated and their relevance for chemical evolution explored. Stellar nucleosynthesis is investigated in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models and massive star models with initial masses between 1 M⊙ and 25 M⊙ for metal fractions of Z = 0.02, 0.01, 0.006, 0.001, 0.0001. A yield grid with elements from H to Bi is calculated. It serves as an input for chemical evolution simulations. AGB models are computed towards the end of the AGB phase and massive star models are calculated until core collapse followed by explosive core-collapse nucleosynthesis. The simulations include convective boundary mixing in all AGB star models and feature efficient hot-bottom burning and hot dredge-up in AGB models as well the predictions of both heavy elements and CNO species under hot-bottom burning conditions. H-ingestion events in the low-mass low-Z AGB model with initial mass of 1M⊙ at Z = 0.0001 result in the production of large amounts of heavy elements. In super-AGB models H ingestion could potentially lead to the intermediate neutron-capture process. To model the chemical enrichment and feedback of simple stellar populations in hydrodynamic simulations and semi-analytic models of galaxy formation the SYGMA module is created and its functionality is verified through a comparison with a widely adopted code. A comparison of ejecta of simple stellar populations based on yields of this work with a commonly adopted yield set shows up to a factor of 3.5 and 4.8 less C and N enrichment from AGB stars at low metallicity which is attributed to complete stellar models, the modeling of the AGB stage and hot-bottom burning in super- AGB stars. Analysis of two different core-collapse supernova fallback prescriptions show that the total amount of Fe enrichment by massive stars differs by up to two at Z = 0.02. Insights into the chemical evolution at very low metallicity as motivated by the observations of extremely metal poor stars require to understand the H-ingestion events common in stellar models of low metallicity. The occurrence of H ingestion events in super-AGB stars is investigated and identified as a possible site for the production of heavy elements through the intermediate neutron capture process. The peculiar abundance of some C-Enhanced Metal Poor stars are explained with simple models of the intermediate neutron capture process. Initial efforts to model this heavy element production in 3D hydrodynamic simulations are presented. For the first time the nucleosynthesis of interacting convective O and C shells in massive star models is investigated in detail. 1D calculations based on input from 3D hydrodynamic simulations of the O shell show that such interactions can boost the production of odd-Z elements P, Cl, K and Sc if large entrainment rates associated with O-C shell merger are assumed. Such shell merger lead in stellar evolution models to overproduction factors beyond 1 dex and p-process overproduction factors above 1 dex for 130,132Ba and heavier isotopes. Chemical evolution models are able to reproduce the Galactic abundance trends of these odd-Z elements if O-C shell merger occur in more than 50% of all massive stars.
Graduate

Elements heavier than iron are almost entirely produced in stars through neutron captures and radioactive decays. Of these heavy elements, roughly half are produced by the slow neutron-capture process (s-process), which takes place under extended exposure to low neutron densities. Most of the s-process production occurs in stars with initial masses between roughly 0.8 and 8 M , which evolve through the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase. This thesis explores several topics related to AGB stars and the s-process, with a focus on comparing theoretical models to observations in the literature on planetary nebulae, post- AGB stars, and globular cluster stars. A recurring theme is the uncertainty of 13C-pocket formation, which is crucial for building accurate models of s-process nucleosynthesis. We first investigated whether neutron-capture reactions in AGB stars are the cause of the low sulphur abundances in planetary nebulae and post-AGB stars relative to the interstellar medium. Accounting for uncertainties in the size of the partial mixing zone that forms 13C pockets and the rates of neutron-capture and neutron-producing reactions, our models failed to reproduce the observed levels of sulphur destruction. From this, we concluded that AGB nucleosynthesis is not the cause of the sulphur anomaly. We also discovered a new method to constrain the extent of the partial mixing zone using neon abundances in planetary nebulae. We next aimed to discover the stellar sites of the s-process enrichment in globular clusters that have inter- and intra-cluster variation, with the examples of M4 (relative to M5) and M22, respectively. Using a new chemical evolution code developed by the candidate, we tested models with stellar yields from rotating massive stars and AGB stars. We compared our model predictions for the production of s-process elements with abundances from s-poor and s-rich populations. We found that rotating massive stars alone do not explain the pattern of abundance variations in either cluster, and that a contribution from AGB stars with 13C pockets is required. We derived a minimum enrichment timescale from our best-fitting chemical evolution models and, although the value depends on the assumptions made about the formation of 13C pockets, our estimate of 240–360 Myr for M22 is consistent with the upper limit of 300 Myr inferred by isochrone fitting. Lastly, there is accumulating evidence that some stars (e.g., in ! Centauri) have been born with helium mass fractions as high as 40%. This motivated us to explore the impact of helium-rich abundances on the evolution and nucleosynthesis of intermediate-mass (3–6 M ) AGB models. We found that the stellar yields of s-process elements are substantially lower in He-rich models, largely as a result of less intershell material being mixed into the envelope. We also found evidence that high He abundances could restrict the s-process production by 13C pockets to stars with lower initial masses.

Due to their initially metal-free composition, the fi rst stars in the Universe, which are termed Population III (Pop III) stars, were fundamentally different than later generations of stars. As of now, we have yet to observe a truly metal-free star although much effort has been placed on this task and that of nding the second generation of stars. Given they were the first stars, Pop III stars are expected to have made the fi rst contributions to elements heavier than those produced during the Big Bang. For decades signi cant mixing between H and He burning layers has been reported in simulations of massive Pop III stars. In this thesis I investigate this poorly understood phenomenon and I posit that interactions between hydrogen and helium-burning layers in Pop III stars may have had a profound impact on their nucleosynthetic contribution to the early universe, and second generation of stars. First, I examined a single massive Pop III star. This was done using a combination of stellar evolution and single-zone nucleosynthesis calculations. For this project I investigated whether the abundances in the most iron-poor stars observed at the time of publication, were reproducible by an interaction between H and He-burning layers. Here it was found that the i process may operate under such conditions. The neutrons are able to ll in odd elements such as Na, creating what is sometimes called the `light-element abundance signature' in observed CEMP stars. I also present the finding that it is possible to produce elements heavier than iron as a result of the i process operating in massive Pop III stars. A parameter study I conducted on H-He interactions in a grid of 22/26 MESA stellar evolution simulations is then described. I grouped these interactions into four categories based on the core-contraction phase they occur in and the convective stability of the helium-burning layer involved. I also examine in detail the hydrogen burning conditions within massive Pop III stars and the behaviour of the CN cycle during H-He interactions. The latter is compared to observed CN ratios in CEMP stars. Finally, I describe the first ever 4pi 3D hydrodynamic simulations of H-He shells in Pop III stars. I also examine the challenges in modelling such con gurations and demonstrate the contributions I have made in modelling Pop III H and He shell systems in the PPMStar hydrodynamics code. My contributions apply to other stellar modelling applications as well.
Graduate

Low- to intermediate-mass stars (0.8 - 7 M{u2299}) are interesting in a broad astronomical context because they produce large amounts of electromagnetic radiation, they eject large amounts of mass, and the ejected mass contains many products of internal nucleosynthesis. However, theoretical studies of the evolution of red-giants are inhibited by uncertainties in important processes such as mass loss, convective mixing, and grain formation in stellar winds. From an observational point of view it is difficult to determine stellar parameters such as the initial mass and metallicity. This makes it hard to constrain theoretical models with observations. The objective of my Ph.D. thesis is to provide a deeper understanding of the physical mechanisms and the nucleosynthesis that occurs in the late stages of stellar evolution for low-to intermediate-mass stars by deriving and using the best observational constraints available. The first two parts of this study were carried out using three intermediate-age clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. Accurate initial masses and mass loss rates were estimated using the pulsation properties of cluster-AGB stars. Subsequently, updated stellar evolution models constrained with observations of these cluster-AGB stars were constructed. Surfaces abundances were calculated as a function of initial mass and metallicity and compared to observationally derived abundances. The final parts of this thesis are based on an observational study of post-AGB stars. Post-AGB stars bear signatures of the structural and chemical composition changes that occur during the AGB phase of evolution and therefore can be used to constrain AGB models. To be able to utilise the wealth of information that can be gained from these objects, a catalog of post-AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds has been created firstly by selecting candidates based on the existence of a mid-infrared excess and secondly by obtaining low resolution optical spectra. The optical spectra and broadband photometry from the optical to mid-infrared were used to derive luminosities, effective temperatures and masses for the post-AGB stars. These catalogs of spectroscopically verified post-AGB stars are expected to be a valuable resource for the study of the late stages of stellar evolution as a function of initial mass and metallicity because of the known distances to the Magellanic Clouds. In summary, this thesis, using observations of AGB and post-AGB stars, has paved the path towards constraining and improving stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis models, and it provides a catalog of post-AGB candidates in the Magellanic Clouds that can be used in future studies to further constrain models of AGB nucleosynthesis.

This dissertation describes our efforts to use the assembly of matter on nuclear scales as a probe of the assembly of matter on Galactic scales. To investigate the former, we characterize the detailed abundance patterns of the heaviest elements found in ancient, metal-poor stars in the Galaxy. In particular, we place new constraints on and identify several new correlations among the nuclei produced by the rapid nucleosynthetic process, which we use to refine current models of the physical conditions of this process. To investigate the latter, we apply our knowledge of stellar nucleosynthesis to examine correlations between the space motions of stars and their compositions, which retain a record of the composition of the interstellar medium where they formed many billions of years ago. Using new high quality stellar spectra collected from McDonald Observatory and Las Campanas Observatory, we confirm the relative chemical homogeneity of a well-known stellar stream and identify several chemical differences between the two major components of the stellar halo of the Galaxy. Each of these results has significant implications for our understanding of how the Galactic halo formed, grew, and evolved. More profoundly, these results indicate that we have not yet fully characterized the cosmic origins of the heaviest elements in the universe and that we will likely need to examine large samples of metal-poor stars at great distances from the Sun to potentially do so.
text

Stellar nucleosynthesis is the name given to the nuclear reactions taking place in stars to create the nuclei of the chemical elements. Elements heavier than iron/nickel are dominantly created by neutron capture reactions. Neutron capture reactions are responsible for forming about 99% of the elements of mass number >56. When neutron densities are rather small and radioactive decay is generally faster than subsequent neutron capture on radionuclides, it is the so called s process (slow). In environments with high neutron densities nuclei can capture many neutrons, increasing rapidly their mass number, and then decay by beta cascade - the r process. This work is dedicated to the study of the radiative neutron capture reaction of the 70Ge isotope. The isotope 70Ge plays a special role, it is an “s-only” nuclide, which cannot be produced by the r process since it is shielded from beta decays coming from the neutron rich side by its stable isobar 70Zn. Neutron capture on germanium has a significant influence on the production of the elements from germanium to strontium in stars. For that reason information on the stellar cross sections of the Ge(n,gamma) reactions has an influence on the abundances of these elements. The main goal of this work is the determination of the neutron capture cross section of 70Ge in the neutron energy range from thermal up to hundreds of keV. Measurements were performed at the n_TOF facility via the time-of-flight technique, enabling neutron spectrometry, with a detection system constituted of liquid scintillators.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2009.
Advisor: Ingo Wiedenhöver, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Physics. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Aug.12, 2009). Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 111 pages. Includes bibliographical references.