14 research outputs found
Complete nucleosynthesis calculations for low-mass stars from NuGrid
Many nucleosynthesis and mixing processes of low-mass stars as they evolve
from the Main Sequence to the thermal-pulse Asymptotic Giant Branch phase
(TP-AGB) are well understood (although of course important physics components,
e.g. rotation, magnetic fields, gravity wave mixing, remain poorly known).
Nevertheless, in the last years presolar grain measurements with high
resolution have presented new puzzling problems and strong constraints on
nucleosynthesis processes in stars. The goal of the NuGrid collaboration is to
present uniform yields for a large range of masses and metallicities, including
lowmass stars and massive stars and their explosions. Here we present the
first calculations of stellar evolution and high-resolution, post-processing
simulations of an AGB star with an initial mass of 2 M_sun and solar-like
metallicity (Z=0.01), based on the post-processing code PPN. In particular, we
analyze the formation and evolution of the radiative 13C-pocket between the
17th TP and the 18th TP. The s-process nucleosynthesis profile of a sample of
heavy isotopes is also discussed, before the next convective TP occurrence.Comment: To appear in the Conference Proceedings for the "10th Symposium on
Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC X)", July 27 - August 1 2008, Mackinack Island,
Michigan, US
Nucleosynthetic Yields from "Collapsars"
The "collapsar" engine for gamma-ray bursts invokes as its energy source the
failure of a normal supernova and the formation of a black hole. Here we
present the results of the first three-dimensional simulation of the collapse
of a massive star down to a black hole, including the subsequent accretion and
explosion. The explosion differs significantly from the axisymmetric scenario
obtained in two-dimensional simulations; this has important consequences for
the nucleosynthetic yields. We compare the nucleosynthetic yields to those of
hypernovae. Calculating yields from three-dimensional explosions requires new
strategies in post-process nucleosynthesis; we discuss NuGrid's plan for
three-dimensional yields.Comment: To appear in the Conference Proceedings for the "10th Symposium on
Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC X)", July 27 - August 1 2008, Mackinack Island,
Michigan, US
Difficulties in Probing Nuclear Physics: A Study of Ti and Ni
The nucleosynthetic yield from a supernova explosion depends upon a variety
of effects: progenitor evolution, explosion process, details of the nuclear
network, and nuclear rates. Especially in studies of integrated stellar yields,
simplifications reduce these uncertainties. But nature is much more complex,
and to actually study nuclear rates, we will have to understand the full,
complex set of processes involved in nucleosynthesis. Here we discuss a few of
these complexities and detail how the NuGrid collaboration will address them.Comment: To appear in the Conference Proceedings for the "10th Symposium on
Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC X)", July 27 - August 1 2008, Mackinack Island,
Michigan, US
Nucleosynthesis Calculations from Core-Collapse Supernovae
We review some of the uncertainties in calculating nucleosynthetic yields,
focusing on the explosion mechanism. Current yield calculations tend to either
use a piston, energy injection, or enhancement of neutrino opacities to drive
an explosion. We show that the energy injection, or more accurately, an entropy
injection mechanism is best-suited to mimic our current understanding of the
convection-enhanced supernova engine. The enhanced neutrino-opacity technique
is in qualitative disagreement with simulations of core-collapse supernovae and
will likely produce errors in the yields. But piston-driven explosions are the
most discrepant. Piston-driven explosion severely underestimate the amount of
fallback, leading to order-of-magnitude errors in the yields of heavy elements.
To obtain yields accurate to the factor of a few level, we must use entropy or
energy injection and this has become the NuGrid collaboration approach.Comment: To appear in the Conference Proceedings for the "10th Symposium on
Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC X)", July 27 - August 1 2008, Mackinack Island,
Michigan, US
44Ti and 56Ni in core-collapse supernovae
We investigate the physical conditions where 44Ti and 56Ni are created in
core-collapse supernovae. In this preliminary work we use a series of
post-processing network calculations with parametrized expansion profiles that
are representative of the wide range of temperatures, densities and
electron-to-baryon ratios found in 3D supernova simulations. Critical flows
that affect the final yields of 44Ti and 56Ni are assessed.Comment: To appear in the Conference Proceedings for the "10th Symposium on
Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC X)", July 27 - August 1 2008, Mackinack Island,
Michigan, US
Spatial Distribution of Nucleosynthesis Products in Cassiopeia A: Comparison Between Observations and 3D Explosion Models
We examine observed heavy element abundances in the Cassiopeia A supernova
remnant as a constraint on the nature of the Cas A supernova. We compare bulk
abundances from 1D and 3D explosion models and spatial distribution of elements
in 3D models with those derived from X-ray observations. We also examine the
cospatial production of 26Al with other species. We find that the most reliable
indicator of the presence of 26Al in unmixed ejecta is a very low S/Si ratio
(~0.05). Production of N in O/S/Si-rich regions is also indicative. The
biologically important element P is produced at its highest abundance in the
same regions. Proxies should be detectable in supernova ejecta with high
spatial resolution multiwavelength observations.Comment: To appear in the Conference Proceedings for the "10th Symposium on
Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC X)", July 27 - August 1 2008, Mackinack Island,
Michigan, US
NuGrid: Toward High Precision Double-Degenerate Merger Simulations with SPH in 3D
We present preliminary results from recent high-resolution double-degenerate
merger simulations with the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) technique. We
put particular emphasis on verification and validation in our effort and show
the importance of details in the initial condition setup for the final outcome
of the simulation. We also stress the dynamical importance of including shocks
in the simulations. These results represent a first step toward a suite of
simulations that will shed light on the question whether double-degenerate
mergers are a viable path toward type 1a supernovae. In future simulations, we
will make use of the capabilities of the NuGrid collaboration in
post-processing SPH particle trajectories with a complete nuclear network to
follow the detailed nuclear reactions during the dynamic merger phase.Comment: To appear in the Conference Proceedings for the "10th Symposium on
Nuclei in the Cosmos (NIC X)", July 27 - August 1 2008, Mackinack Island,
Michigan, US
Nucleosynthesis simulations for a wide range of nuclear production sites from NuGrid
Simulations of nucleosynthesis in astrophysical environments are at the intersection of nuclear physics reaction rate research and astrophysical applications, for example in the area of galactic chemical evolution or near-field cosmology. Unfortunately, at present the available yields for such applications are based on heterogeneous assumptions between the various contributing nuclear production sites, both in terms of modeling the thermodynamic environment itself as well as the choice of specifc nuclear reaction rates and compilations. On the other side, new nuclear reaction rate determinations are often taking a long time to be included in astrophysical applications. The NuGrid project addresses these issues by providing a set of codes and a framework in which these codes interact. In this contribution we describe the motivation, goals and first results of the NuGrid project. At the core is a new and evolving post-processing nuclesoynthesis code (PPN) that can follow quiescent and explosive nucleosynthesis following multi-zone 1D-stellar evolution as well as multi-zone hydrodynamic input, including explosions. First results are available in the areas of AGB and massive stars
NuGrid: s process in massive stars
The s-process production in massive stars at very low metallicities is expected to be negligible due to the low abundance of the neutron source 22Ne, to primary neutron poisons and decreasing iron seed abundances. However, recent models of massive stars including the effects of rotation show that a strong production of 22Ne is possible in the helium core, as a consequence of the primary nitrogen production (observed in halo metal poor stars). Using the PPN post-processing code, we studied the impact of this primary 22Ne on the s process. We find a large production of s elements between strontium and barium, starting with the amount of primary 22Ne predicted by stellar models. There are several key reaction rate uncertainties influencing the s-process efficiency. Among them, 17O(alpha,gamma) may play a crucial role strongly influencing the s process efficiency, or it may play a negligible role, according to the rate used in the calculations. We also report on the development of a new parallel (MPI) post-processing code (MPPNP) designed to follow the complete nucleosynthesis in stars on highly resolved grids. We present here the first post-processing run from the ZAMS up to the end of helium burning for a 15 solar mass model