R-process enrichment from a single event in an ancient dwarf galaxy

Elements heavier than zinc are synthesized through the (r)apid and (s)low neutron-capture processes. The main site of production of the r-process elements (such as europium) has been debated for nearly 60 years. Initial studies of chemical abundance trends in old Milky Way halo stars suggested continual r-process production, in sites like core-collapse supernovae. But evidence from the local Universe favors r-process production mainly during rare events, such as neutron star mergers. The appearance of a europium abundance plateau in some dwarf spheroidal galaxies has been suggested as evidence for rare r-process enrichment in the early Universe, but only under the assumption of no gas accretion into the dwarf galaxies. Cosmologically motivated gas accretion favors continual r-process enrichment in these systems. Furthermore, the universal r-process pattern has not been cleanly identified in dwarf spheroidals. The smaller, chemically simpler, and more ancient ultra-faint dwarf galaxies assembled shortly after the first stars formed, and are ideal systems with which to study nucleosynthesis events such as the r-process. Reticulum II is one such galaxy. The abundances of non-neutron-capture elements in this galaxy (and others like it) are similar to those of other old stars. Here, we report that seven of nine stars in Reticulum II observed with high-resolution spectroscopy show strong enhancements in heavy neutron-capture elements, with abundances that follow the universal r-process pattern above barium. The enhancement in this "r-process galaxy" is 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than that detected in any other ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. This implies that a single rare event produced the r-process material in Reticulum II. The r-process yield and event rate are incompatible with ordinary core-collapse supernovae, but consistent with other possible sites, such as neutron star mergers.Comment: Published in Nature, 21 Mar 2016: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature1742

The R-Process Alliance: Fourth Data Release from the Search for R-process-enhanced Stars in the Galactic Halo

This compilation is the fourth data release from the R-Process Alliance (RPA) search for r-process-enhanced stars and the second release based on "snapshot" high-resolution (R ~ 30,000) spectra collected with the du Pont 2.5 m Telescope. In this data release, we propose a new delineation between the r-I and r-II stellar classes at $[\mathrm{Eu}/\mathrm{Fe}]=+0.7$, instead of the empirically chosen $[\mathrm{Eu}/\mathrm{Fe}]=+1.0$ level previously in use, based on statistical tests of the complete set of RPA data released to date. We also statistically justify the minimum level of [Eu/Fe] for definition of the r-I stars, [Eu/Fe] > +0.3. Redefining the separation between r-I and r-II stars will aid in the analysis of the possible progenitors of these two classes of stars and determine whether these signatures arise from separate astrophysical sources at all. Applying this redefinition to previous RPA data, the number of identified r-II and r-I stars changes to 51 and 121, respectively, from the initial set of data releases published thus far. In this data release, we identify 21 new r-II, 111 new r-I (plus 3 re-identified), and 7 new (plus 1 re-identified) limited-r stars out of a total of 232 target stars, resulting in a total sample of 72 new r-II stars, 232 new r-I stars, and 42 new limited-r stars identified by the RPA to date

Explosive Nucleosynthesis: What we learned and what we still do not understand

This review touches on historical aspects, going back to the early days of nuclear astrophysics, initiated by B$^2$FH and Cameron, discusses (i) the required nuclear input from reaction rates and decay properties up to the nuclear equation of state, continues (ii) with the tools to perform nucleosynthesis calculations and (iii) early parametrized nucleosynthesis studies, before (iv) reliable stellar models became available for the late stages of stellar evolution. It passes then through (v) explosive environments from core-collapse supernovae to explosive events in binary systems (including type Ia supernovae and compact binary mergers), and finally (vi) discusses the role of all these nucleosynthesis production sites in the evolution of galaxies. The focus is put on the comparison of early ideas and present, very recent, understanding.Comment: 11 pages, to appear in Springer Proceedings in Physics (Proc. of Intl. Conf. "Nuclei in the Cosmos XV", LNGS Assergi, Italy, June 2018

Multiple populations in globular clusters. Lessons learned from the Milky Way globular clusters

Recent progress in studies of globular clusters has shown that they are not simple stellar populations, being rather made of multiple generations. Evidence stems both from photometry and spectroscopy. A new paradigm is then arising for the formation of massive star clusters, which includes several episodes of star formation. While this provides an explanation for several features of globular clusters, including the second parameter problem, it also opens new perspectives about the relation between globular clusters and the halo of our Galaxy, and by extension of all populations with a high specific frequency of globular clusters, such as, e.g., giant elliptical galaxies. We review progress in this area, focusing on the most recent studies. Several points remain to be properly understood, in particular those concerning the nature of the polluters producing the abundance pattern in the clusters and the typical timescale, the range of cluster masses where this phenomenon is active, and the relation between globular clusters and other satellites of our Galaxy.Comment: In press (The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review

The R-Process Alliance: Discovery of a Low-alpha, r-process-enhanced Metal-poor Star in the Galactic Halo

A new moderately r-process-enhanced metal-poor star, RAVE J093730.5−062655, has been identified in the Milky Way halo as part of an ongoing survey by the R-Process Alliance. The temperature and surface gravity indicate that J0937−0626 is likely a horizontal branch star. At [Fe/H] = −1.86, J0937−0626 is found to have subsolar [X/Fe] ratios for nearly every light, α, and Fe-peak element. The low [α/Fe] ratios can be explained by an ~0.6 dex excess of Fe; J0937−0626 is therefore similar to the subclass of "iron-enhanced" metal-poor stars. A comparison with Milky Way field stars at [Fe/H] = −2.5 suggests that J0937−0626 was enriched in material from an event, possibly a Type Ia supernova, that created a significant amount of Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni and smaller amounts of Ca, Sc, Ti, and Zn. The r-process enhancement of J0937−0626 is likely due to a separate event, which suggests that its birth environment was highly enriched in r-process elements. The kinematics of J0937−0626, based on Gaia DR2 data, indicate a retrograde orbit in the Milky Way halo; J0937−0626 was therefore likely accreted from a dwarf galaxy that had significant r-process enrichment

Metal-Poor Stars and the Chemical Enrichment of the Universe

Metal-poor stars hold the key to our understanding of the origin of the elements and the chemical evolution of the Universe. This chapter describes the process of discovery of these rare stars, the manner in which their surface abundances (produced in supernovae and other evolved stars) are determined from the analysis of their spectra, and the interpretation of their abundance patterns to elucidate questions of origin and evolution. More generally, studies of these stars contribute to other fundamental areas that include nuclear astrophysics, conditions at the earliest times, the nature of the first stars, and the formation and evolution of galaxies -- including our own Milky Way. We illustrate this with results from studies of lithium formed during the Big Bang; of stars dated to within ~1 Gyr of that event; of the most metal-poor stars, with abundance signatures very different from all other stars; and of the build-up of the elements over the first several Gyr. The combination of abundance and kinematic signatures constrains how the Milky Way formed, while recent discoveries of extremely metal-poor stars in the Milky Way's dwarf galaxy satellites constrain the hierarchical build-up of its stellar halo from small dark-matter dominated systems. [abridged]Comment: Book chapter, emulated version, 34 pages; number of references are limited by publisher; to appear in Vol. 5 of textbook "Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems", by Springer, in 201

The R-Process Alliance: A Very Metal-poor, Extremely r-process-enhanced Star with [Eu/Fe] = + 2.2, and the Class of r-III Stars

© 2020. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. We report the discovery of J1521-3538, a bright (V = 12.2), very metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -2.8) strongly r-process-enhanced field horizontal branch star, based on a high-resolution, high signal-to-noise Magellan/MIKE spectrum. J1521-3538 shows the largest r-process element overabundance in any known r-process-enhanced star, with [Eu/Fe] = +2.2, and its chemical abundances of 22 neutron-capture elements closely match the scaled solar r-process pattern. J1521-3538 is also one of few known carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars with r-process enhancement (CEMP-r stars), as found after correcting the measured C abundance for the star's evolutionary status. We propose to extend the existing classification of moderately enhanced () r-I and strongly r-process enhanced () r-II stars to include an r-III class, for r-process stars such as J1521-3538, with [Eu/Fe] >+2.0 and [Ba/Eu] <-0.5, or ≪ 100 times the solar ratio of europium to iron. Using cosmochronometry, we estimate J1521-3538 to be 12.5±5 Gyr and 8.9±5 Gyr, using two different sets of initial production ratios. These ages are based on measurements of the Th line at 4019 Å and other r-process element abundances. This is broadly consistent with the old age of a low-mass, metal-poor field red horizontal branch star. J1521-3538 likely originated in a low-mass dwarf galaxy that was later accreted by the Milky Way, as evidenced by its highly eccentric orbit

The complex stellar system M 22: confirming abundance variations with high precision differential measurements

M 22 (NGC 6656) is a chemically complex globular cluster-like system reported to harbour heavy element abundance variations. However, the extent of these variations and the origin of this cluster is still debated. In this work, we investigate the chemical in-homogeneity of M 22 using differential line-by-line analysis of high-quality (R = 110 000, S/N = 300 per pixel at 514 nm) VLT/UVES spectra of six carefully chosen red giant branch stars. By achieving abundance uncertainties as low as similar to 0.01 dex (similar to 2 per cent), this high precision data validates the results of previous studies and reveals variations in Fe, Na, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Zr, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Eu. Additionally, we can confirm that the cluster hosts two stellar populations with a spread of at least 0.24 dex in [Fe/H] and an average s-process abundance spread of 0.65 dex. In addition to global variations across the cluster, we also find non-negligible variations within each of the two populations, with the more metal-poor population hosting larger spreads in elements heavier than Fe than the metal-rich. We address previous works that do not identify anomalous abundances and relate our findings to our current dynamical understanding of the cluster. Given our results, we suggest that M 22 is either a nuclear star cluster, the product of two merged clusters, or an original building block of the Milky Way