Populating the periodic table: Nucleosynthesis of the elements

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 363 (6426) ◽  
pp. 474-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Periodic Table ◽  
White Dwarfs ◽  
Heavy Elements ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Different Time Scales

Elements heavier than helium are produced in the lives and deaths of stars. This Review discusses when and how the process of nucleosynthesis made elements. High-mass stars fuse elements much faster, fuse heavier nuclei, and die more catastrophically than low-mass stars. The explosions of high-mass stars as supernovae release elements into their surroundings. Supernovae can leave behind neutron stars, which may later merge to produce additional heavy elements. Dying low-mass stars throw off their enriched outer layers, leaving behind white dwarfs. These white dwarfs may also later merge and synthesize elements as well. Because these processes occur on different time scales and produce a different pattern of elements, the composition of the Universe changes over time as stars populate the periodic table.

scholarly journals Black dwarf supernova in the far future

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (4) ◽  
pp. 4357-4362
Author(s):  
M E Caplan
Keyword(s):  
White Dwarfs ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Observable Universe ◽  
Dwarf Stars ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Chandrasekhar Limit ◽  
Ultimate Fate ◽  
Open Question ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Far Future

ABSTRACT In the far future, long after star formation has ceased, the universe will be populated by sparse degenerate remnants, mostly white dwarfs, though their ultimate fate is an open question. These white dwarfs will cool and freeze solid into black dwarfs while pycnonuclear fusion will slowly process their composition to iron-56. However, due to the declining electron fraction, the Chandrasekhar limit of these stars will be decreasing and will eventually be below that of the most massive black dwarfs. As such, isolated dwarf stars with masses greater than ∼1.2 M⊙ will collapse in the far future due to the slow accumulation of iron-56 in their cores. If proton decay does not occur, then this is the ultimate fate of about 1021 stars, approximately 1 percent of all stars in the observable universe. We present calculations of the internal structure of black dwarfs with iron cores as a model for progenitors. From pycnonuclear fusion rates, we estimate their lifetime and thus delay time to be 101100 yr. We speculate that high-mass black dwarf supernovae resemble accretion induced collapse of O/Ne/Mg white dwarfs while later low mass transients will be similar to stripped-envelope core-collapse supernova, and may be the last interesting astrophysical transients to occur prior to heat death.

scholarly journals The first galactic stars and chemical enrichment in the halo

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S265) ◽  
pp. 81-89
Author(s):  
Piercarlo Bonifacio
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Chemical Enrichment ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Indirect Information ◽  
The Universe

AbstractThe cosmic microwave background and the cosmic expansion can be interpreted as evidence that the Universe underwent an extremely hot and dense phase about 14 Gyr ago. The nucleosynthesis computations tell us that the Universe emerged from this state with a very simple chemical composition: H, 2H, 3He, 4He, and traces of 7Li. All other nuclei where synthesised at later times. Our stellar evolution models tell us that, if a low-mass star with this composition had been created (a “zero-metal” star) at that time, it would still be shining on the Main Sequence today. Over the last 40 years there have been many efforts to detect such primordial stars but none has so-far been found. The lowest metallicity stars known have a metal content, Z, which is of the order of 10−4Z⊙. These are also the lowest metallicity objects known in the Universe. This seems to support the theories of star formation which predict that only high mass stars could form with a primordial composition and require a minimum metallicity to allow the formation of low-mass stars. Yet, since absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, we cannot exclude the existence of such low-mass zero-metal stars, at present. If we have not found the first Galactic stars, as a by product of our searches we have found their direct descendants, stars of extremely low metallicity (Z ≤ 10−3Z⊙). The chemical composition of such stars contains indirect information on the nature of the stars responsible for the nucleosynthesis of the metals. Such a fossil record allows us a glimpse of the Galaxy at a look-back time equivalent to redshift z = 10, or larger. The last ten years have been full of exciting discoveries in this field, which I will try to review in this contribution.

scholarly journals Primordial Supernovae and the Assembly of the First Galaxies

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S255) ◽  
pp. 116-120
Author(s):  
Daniel Whalen ◽  
Bob Van Veelen ◽  
Brian W. O'Shea ◽  
Michael L. Norman
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Elements ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Free Expansion ◽  
Numerical Studies ◽  
James Webb Space Telescope ◽  
Chemical Signatures ◽  
Dense Shell ◽  
H Ii Region ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
First Galaxies

AbstractCurrent numerical studies suggest that the first protogalaxies formed a few stars at a time and were enriched only gradually by the first heavy elements. However, these models do not resolve primordial supernova (SN) explosions or the mixing of their heavy elements with ambient gas, which could result in intervening, prompt generations of low-mass stars. We present multiscale 1D models of Population III supernovae in cosmological minihalos that evolve the blast from its earliest stages as a free expansion. We find that if the star ionizes the halo, the ejecta strongly interacts with the dense shell swept up by the H II region, potentially cooling and fragmenting it into clumps that are gravitationally unstable to collapse. If the star fails to ionize the halo, the explosion propagates metals out to 20 - 40 pc and then collapses, heavily enriching tens of thousands of solar masses of primordial gas, in contrast to previous models that suggest that such explosions ‘fizzle’. Rapid formation of low-mass stars trapped in the gravitational potential well of the halo is unavoidable in these circumstances. Consequently, it is possible that far more stars were swept up into the first galaxies, at earlier times and with distinct chemical signatures, than in present models. Upcoming measurements by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) may discriminate between these two paradigms.

scholarly journals What Causes the Low Binary Frequency in the Orion Nebula Cluster?

2004 ◽  
Vol 191 ◽  
pp. 104-108
Author(s):  
R. Köhler
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Cluster Center ◽  
Orion Nebula ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Cluster Radius ◽  
Companion Star ◽  
Binary Formation ◽  
Low Mass

AbstractWe report on the results of a binary survey in the outer parts of the Orion Nebula Cluster, 0.7 to 2 pc from the cluster center. The results should help to decide if the binary formation rate was lower in Orion than in Taurus-Auriga, or if many binaries formed initially, but were destroyed in close stellar encounters. We find that the binary frequency of low-mass stars does not depend on the distance to the cluster center. The companion star frequency of intermediate- to high-mass stars shows a trend to decrease with cluster radius, but the statistical significance of this trend is rather weak.

scholarly journals Fragmentation and dynamics in Massive Dense Cores in Cygnus-X

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S270) ◽  
pp. 53-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Csengeri ◽  
S. Bontemps ◽  
N. Schneider ◽  
F. Motte
Keyword(s):  
Angular Resolution ◽  
High Density ◽  
High Mass ◽  
High Angular Resolution ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Dense Cores ◽  
Evolutionary Scenario ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Molecular Tracers ◽  
Resolution Study

AbstractA systematic, high angular-resolution study of IR-quiet Massive Dense Cores (MDCs) of Cygnus-X in continuum and high-density molecular tracers is presented. The results are compared with the quasi-static and the dynamical evolutionary scenario. We find that the fragmentation properties are not compatible with the quasi-static, monolithic collapse scenario, nor are they entirely compatible with the formation of a cluster of mostly low-mass stars. The kinematics of MDCs shows individual velocity components appearing as coherent flows, which indicate important dynamical processes at the scale of the mass reservoir around high-mass protostars.

scholarly journals Low-mass Star Formation: Observations

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S270) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neal J. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Molecular Clouds ◽  
Planet Formation ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Chemical Changes ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Imf

AbstractI briefly review recent observations of regions forming low mass stars. The discussion is cast in the form of seven questions that have been partially answered, or at least illuminated, by new data. These are the following: where do stars form in molecular clouds; what determines the IMF; how long do the steps of the process take; how efficient is star formation; do any theories explain the data; how are the star and disk built over time; and what chemical changes accompany star and planet formation. I close with a summary and list of open questions.

scholarly journals Do Low Luminosity Stars Matter?

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (H15) ◽  
pp. 47-60
Author(s):  
María Teresa Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
White Dwarf ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
M Dwarfs ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Missing Mass ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Astronomical Research ◽  
Red Giant ◽  
Large Telescopes ◽  
The Universe

AbstractHistorically, low luminosity stars have attracted very little attention, in part because they are difficult to see except with large telescopes, however, by neglecting to study them we are leaving out the vast majority of stars in the Universe. Low mass stars evolve very slowly, it takes them trillions of years to burn their hydrogen, after which, they just turn into a He white dwarf, without ever going through the red giant phase. This lack of observable evolution partly explains the lack of interest in them. The search for the “missing mass” in the galactic plane turned things around and during the 60s and 70s the search for large M/L objects placed M-dwarfs and cool WDs among objects of astrophysical interest. New fields of astronomical research, like BDs and exoplanets appeared as spin-offs from efforts to find the “missing mass”. The search for halo white dwarfs, believed to be responsible for the observed microlensing events, is pursued by several groups. The progress in these last few years has been tremendous, here I present highlights some of the great successes in the field and point to some of the still unsolved issues.

scholarly journals Search for radio jets from massive young stellar objects

2020 ◽  
Vol 645 ◽  
pp. A29
Author(s):  
Ü. Kavak ◽  
Á. Sánchez-Monge ◽  
A. López-Sepulcre ◽  
R. Cesaroni ◽  
F. F. S. van der Tak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Of View ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Radio Jets ◽  
Star Forming Regions ◽  
Nonthermal Emission ◽  
Low Mass

Context. Recent theoretical and observational studies debate the similarities of the formation process of high- (>8 M⊙) and low-mass stars. The formation of low-mass stars is directly associated with the presence of disks and jets. Theoretical models predict that stars with masses up to 140 M⊙ can be formed through disk-mediated accretion in disk-jet systems. According to this scenario, radio jets are expected to be common in high-mass star-forming regions. Aims. We aim to increase the number of known radio jets in high-mass star-forming regions by searching for radio-jet candidates at radio continuum wavelengths. Methods. We used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to observe 18 high-mass star-forming regions in the C band (6 cm, ≈1′′.0 resolution) and K band (1.3 cm, ≈0′′.3 resolution). We searched for radio-jet candidates by studying the association of radio continuum sources with shock activity signs (e.g., molecular outflows, extended green objects, and maser emission). Our VLA observations also targeted the 22 GHz H2O and 6.7 GHz CH3OH maser lines. Results. We have identified 146 radio continuum sources, 40 of which are located within the field of view of both images (C and K band maps). We derived the spectral index, which is consistent with thermal emission (between − 0.1 and + 2.0) for 73% of these sources. Based on the association with shock-activity signs, we identified 28 radio-jet candidates. Out of these, we identified 7 as the most probable radio jets. The radio luminosity of the radio-jet candidates is correlated with the bolometric luminosity and the outflow momentum rate. About 7–36% of the radio-jet candidates are associated with nonthermal emission. The radio-jet candidates associated with 6.7 GHz CH3OH maser emission are preferentially thermal winds and jets, while a considerable fraction of radio-jet candidates associated with H2O masers show nonthermal emission that is likely due to strong shocks. Conclusions. About 60% of the radio continuum sources detected within the field of view of our VLA images are potential radio jets. The remaining sources could be compact H II regions in their early stages of development, or radio jets for which we currently lack further evidence of shock activity. Our sample of 18 regions is divided into 8 less evolved infrared-dark regions and 10 more evolved infrared-bright regions. We found that ≈71% of the identified radio-jet candidates are located in the more evolved regions. Similarly, 25% of the less evolved regions harbor one of the most probable radio jets, while up to 50% of the more evolved regions contain one of these radio-jet candidates. This suggests that the detection of radio jets in high-mass star-forming regions is more likely in slightly more evolved regions.

scholarly journals Infalling Streamer-Disk-Outflow System in a Nearby High-mass Star Formation Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Chen ◽  
Zhiyuan Ren ◽  
Da-Lei Li ◽  
Tie Liu ◽  
Ke Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Detection ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Young Stellar Objects ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Similar Process ◽  
Mass Star ◽  
Solar Mass ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Stellar Objects ◽  
Low Mass

Abstract Theoretical models and numerical simulations suggest that high mass star (with mass > 8 solar mass) can be formed either via monolithic collapse of a massive core or competitive accretion, but the dominant mechanism is currently unclear. Although recent high resolution observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have detected physical and kinematic features, such as disks, outflows and filamentary structures surrounding the high mass young stellar objects (HMYSO), direct detection of the infalling gas towards the HMYSO is still the key to distinguish the different scenarios. Chemically fresh gas inflows have been detected towards low-mass stars being formed, which are consistent with the accretion-disk-outflow process. In this work we report the detection of a chemically fresh inflow which is feeding HMYSO growth in the nearby high mass star-forming region G352.63-1.07. High quality images of the dust and molecular lines from both ALMA and the Submillimeter Array (SMA) have consistently revealed a gravitationally-controlled gas inflow towards a rotating structure (disk or torus) around the HMYSO. The HMYSO is also observed to have an outflow, but it can be clearly separated from the inflow. These kinematic features provide observational evidence to support the conjecture that high-mass stars can be formed in a similar process to that observed in the low-mass counterparts. The chemically fresh infalling streamers could also be related with the disk configuration, fragmentation and accretion bursts that occur in both simulations and observations.

scholarly journals Helium Flashes Through the NCO Reaction

1988 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 57-58
Author(s):  
K. Arai ◽  
K. Kaminisi ◽  
M. Hashimoto ◽  
K. Nomoto
Keyword(s):  
Fermi Energy ◽  
White Dwarfs ◽  
Threshold Energy ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Low Mass

It is generally accepted that the helium flash occurs when the 3α reaction commences in the degenerate helium core of low mass stars. In this core, original CNO isotopes have been converted into 14N and the electron Fermi energy becomes large enough to approach the threshold energy for e-capture on 14N. Hence Kaminisi et al. (1975) have pointed out that in these circumstances the 14N(e−, v)14C(α,γ)18O (NCO) reaction may play an important role for igniting the helium flash.We, therefore, examine the effects of the NCO reaction on the evolution of low mass stars. A key ingredient of the NCO reaction is that the density reaches the threshold for e-capture (ρth≃ 106 g cm−3). Evolutionary sequences are presented for the cases of accreting helium white dwarfs (Hashimoto et al. 1986) and a 0.7 M⊙, Population II star ascending the giant branch.

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