Related papers: Nuclear Chronometers
Elements heavier than the iron group are found in nearly all halo stars. A substantial number of these elements, key to understanding neutron-capture nucleosynthesis mechanisms, can only be detected in the near-ultraviolet. We report the…
We determine the abundances of neutron-capture elements from Sr to Eu for five very-metal-poor stars (-3<[Fe/H]<-2) in the Milky Way halo to reveal the origin of light neutron-capture elements. Previous spectroscopic studies have shown…
Neutron-capture elements, those with Z > 35, are the least well-understood in terms of nucleosynthesis and formation environments. The rapid neutron-capture, or r-process, elements are formed in the environments and/or remnants of massive…
We report the abundance determination in the atmosphere of the bright halo star HD221170. The spectra were taken with the Terskol Observatory's 2.0-m telescope with a resolution R=45000 and signal-to-noise ratio up to 250 in the wavelength…
The heaviest chemical elements are naturally produced by the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) during neutron star mergers or supernovae. The r-process production of elements heavier than uranium (transuranic nuclei) is poorly…
We present age estimates for the newly discovered very r-process enhanced metal-poor star HE 1523-0901 ([Fe/H]=-2.95) based on the radioactive decay of Th and U. The bright (V=11.1) giant was found amongst a sample of bright metal-poor…
Metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo often show strong enhancements in carbon and/or neutron-capture elements. However, the Galactic bulge is notable for its paucity of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) and/or CH-stars, with only two such…
The aim of this work is to determine abundances of neutron-capture elements for thin- and thick-disc F, G, and K stars in several sky fields near the north ecliptic pole and to compare the results with the Galactic chemical evolution…
The oldest, most metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo and satellite dwarf galaxies present an opportunity to explore the chemical and physical conditions of the earliest star forming environments in the Universe. We review the fields of…
Understanding the abundance pattern of metal-poor stars and the production of heavy elements through various nucleosynthesis processes offers crucial insights into the chemical evolution of the Milky Way, revealing primary sites and major…
The ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Reticulum II was enriched by a rare and prolific r-process event, such as a neutron star merger. To investigate the nature of this event, we present high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy of the brightest…
We revisit the abundances of neutron-capture elements in the metal-poor ([Fe/H]=-2.9) r-process-rich halo star CS 31082-001. Partly motivated by the development of the new near-ultraviolet Cassegrain U-band Efficient Spectrograph for the…
Half of all the elements in the universe heavier than iron were created by rapid neutron capture. The theory for this astrophysical `$r$-process' was worked out six decades ago and requires an enormous neutron flux to make the bulk of these…
The ages of the oldest stars shed light on the birth, chemical enrichment, and chemical evolution of the Universe. Nucleocosmochronometry provides an avenue to determining the ages of these stars independent from stellar evolution models.…
The rotation rate, level of magnetic activity and surface lithium abundance are age-dependent quantities in stars of about a solar mass and below. The physical reasons for the evolution of these phenomena are qualitatively understood, but…
We present a comprehensive analysis of the detailed chemical abundances for a sample of 11 metal-poor, very metal-poor and extremely metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] = -1.65 to [Fe/H] = -3.0) as part of the HESP-GOMPA (Galactic survey Of Metal Poor…
Employing high resolution spectra obtained with the near-UV sensitive detector on the Keck I HIRES, supplemented by data obtained with the McDonald Observatory 2-d coude, we have performed a comprehensive chemical composition analysis of…
The detailed chemical composition of most metal-poor halo stars has been found to be highly uniform, but a minority of stars exhibit dramatic enhancements in their abundances of heavy neutron-capture elements and/or of carbon. The key…
Various nucleosynthesis studies have pointed out that the r-process elements in very metal-poor (VMP) halo stars might have different origins. By means of familiar concepts from statistics (correlations, cluster analysis, rank tests of…
We have investigated a group of stars known to have low chromospheric ages, but high kinematical ages. Isochrone, chemical and lithium ages are estimated for them. The majority of stars in this group show lithium abundances much smaller…