Related papers: The self-enrichment scenario in intermediate metal…
The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase is the final stage of nuclear burning for low-mass stars. Although Milky Way globular clusters are now known to harbour (at least) two generations of stars they still provide relatively homogeneous…
Globular clusters exhibit abundance variations, defining `multiple populations', which have prompted a protracted search for their origin. Properties requiring explanation include: the high fraction of polluted stars ($\sim…
The enrichment history of galaxy clusters and groups remains far from being fully understood. Recent measurements in massive clusters have revealed remarkably flat iron abundance profiles out to the outskirts, suggesting that similar…
Two recent empirical developments in the study of extragalactic globular cluster (GC) populations are the color-magnitude relation of the blue GCs (the "blue tilt") and the nonlinearity of the dependence of optical GC colors on metallicity.…
We present O, Na, and Fe abundances, as well as radial velocities, for 113 red giant branch (RGB) and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the globular cluster M13. The abundances and velocities are based on spectra obtained with the…
Observed metal abundances in the intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy groups and clusters, $Z_{ICM}$, exceed what is expected from present-day stellar populations alone. Galaxy clusters are presumed to be near closed-box systems, allowing…
The determination of heavy element abundances from planetary nebula (PN) spectra provides an exciting opportunity to study the nucleosynthesis occurring in the progenitor asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star. We perform post-processing…
The abundance of O in planetary nebulae (PNe) has been historically used as a metallicity indicator of the interstellar medium (ISM) where they originated; e.g., it has been widely used to study metallicity gradients in our Galaxy and…
We explain the multiple populations recently found in the 'prototype' Globular Cluster (GC) NGC 2808 in the framework of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) scenario. The chemistry of the five -or more- populations is approximately consistent…
We investigate the uncertainty in surface abundances and yields of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We apply three different mass loss laws to a 1.5 solar mass star of metallicity Z=0.008 at the beginning of the thermally pulsing…
We explore the self-enrichment hypothesis for globular cluster formation with respect to the star formation aspect. Following this scenario, the massive stars of a first stellar generation chemically enrich the globular progenitor cloud up…
This thesis is aimed at clarifying one of the least studied phases of stellar evolution: the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Recent results obtained for Galactic globular clusters (GCs) suggest that the AGB stage may contain crucial…
We present asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models of metallicity $Z=10^{-4}$ and $Z=3\times 10^{-4}$, with the aim of understanding how the gas enrichment and the dust production change in very metal-poor environments and to assess the…
The formation of silicates in circumstellar envelopes of stars evolving through the AGB is still debated given the uncertainties affecting stellar evolution modelling, the description of the dust formation process, and the capability of…
We present a set of low and intermediate mass star yields based on a modeling of the TP--AGB phase which affects the production of nitrogen and carbon. These yields are evaluated by using them in a Galaxy Chemical Evolution model, with…
Aims. The goal of this work is to devise a description of the enrichment process in large-scale structure that explains the available observations and makes predictions for future measurements. Methods. We took a spartan approach to this…
The self-enrichment of massive star clusters by p-processed elements is shown to increase significantly with increasing gas density as a result of enhanced star formation rates and stellar scatterings compared to the lifetime of a massive…
Galactic globular cluster stars exhibit abundance patterns which are not shared by their field counterparts. It is clear from recent spectroscopic observations of GC turnoff stars that these abundance anomalies were already present in the…
The internal distribution of heavy elements, in particular the radial metallicity gradient, offers insight into the merging history of galaxies. Using our cosmological, chemodynamical simulations that include both detailed chemical…
We examine the galactic chemical evolution (GCE) of $^4$He in one-zone and multi-zone models, with particular attention to theoretical predictions and empirical constraints on IMF-averaged yields. Published models of massive star winds and…