Dependence of the Sr-to-Ba and Sr-to-Eu Ratio on the Nuclear Equation of State in Metal Poor Halo Stars

A model is proposed in which the light r-process element enrichment in metal-poor stars is explained via enrichment from a truncated r-process, or "tr-process." The truncation of the r-process from a generic core-collapse event followed by a collapse into an accretion-induced black hole is examined in the framework of a galactic chemical evolution model. The constraints on this model imposed by observations of extremely metal-poor stars are explained, and the upper limits in the [Sr/Ba] distributions are found to be related to the nuclear equation of state in a collapse scenario. The scatter in [Sr/Ba] and [Sr/Eu] as a function of metallicity has been found to be consistent with turbulent ejection in core collapse supernovae. Adaptations of this model are evaluated to account for the scatter in isotopic observables. This is done by assuming mixing in ejecta in a supernova event.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures; To appear in Ap

Evolution and CNO yields of Z=10^-5 stars and possible effects on CEMP production

Our main goals are to get a deeper insight into the evolution and final fates of intermediate-mass, extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars. We also aim to investigate their C, N, and O yields. Using the Monash University Stellar Evolution code we computed and analysed the evolution of stars of metallicity Z = 10^-5 and masses between 4 and 9 M_sun, from their main sequence until the late thermally pulsing (super) asymptotic giant branch, TP-(S)AGB phase. Our model stars experience a strong C, N, and O envelope enrichment either due to the second dredge-up, the dredge-out phenomenon, or the third dredge-up early during the TP-(S)AGB phase. Their late evolution is therefore similar to that of higher metallicity objects. When using a standard prescription for the mass loss rates during the TP-(S)AGB phase, the computed stars lose most of their envelopes before their cores reach the Chandrasekhar mass, so our standard models do not predict the occurrence of SNI1/2 for Z = 10^-5 stars. However, we find that the reduction of only one order of magnitude in the mass-loss rates, which are particularly uncertain at this metallicity, would prevent the complete ejection of the envelope, allowing the stars to either explode as an SNI1/2 or become an electron-capture SN. Our calculations stop due to an instability near the base of the convective envelope that hampers further convergence and leaves remnant envelope masses between 0.25 M_sun for our 4 M_sun model and 1.5 M_sun for our 9 M_sun model. We present two sets of C, N, and O yields derived from our full calculations and computed under two different assumptions, namely, that the instability causes a practically instant loss of the remnant envelope or that the stars recover and proceed with further thermal pulses. Our results have implications for the early chemical evolution of the Universe.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Evolution and nucleosynthesis of extremely metal-poor and metal-free low- and intermediate-mass stars II. s-process nucleosynthesis during the core He flash

Models of primordial and hyper-metal-poor stars with masses similar to the Sun experience an ingestion of protons into the hot core during the core helium flash phase at the end of their red giant branch evolution. This produces a concurrent secondary flash powered by hydrogen burning that gives rise to further nucleosynthesis in the core. We perform post-process nucleosynthesis calculations on a one-dimensional stellar evolution calculation of a star of 1 solar mass and metallicity [Fe/H] = -6.5 that suffers a proton ingestion episode. Our network includes 320 nuclear species and 2,366 reactions and treats mixing and burning simultaneously. The mixing and burning of protons into the hot convective core leads to the production of 13C, which then burns via the 13C(alpha,n)16O reaction releasing a large number of free neutrons. During the first two years of neutron production the neutron poison 14N abundance is low, allowing the prodigious production of heavy elements such as strontium, barium, and lead via slow neutron captures (the s process). These nucleosynthetic products are later mixed to the stellar surface and ejected via stellar winds. We compare our results with observations of the hyper-metal-poor halo star HE 1327-2326, which shows a strong Sr overabundance. Our model provides the possibility of self-consistently explaining the Sr overabundance in HE 1327-2326 together with its C, N, and O overabundances (all within a factor of ~4) if the material were heavily diluted, for example, via mass transfer in a wide binary system. The model produces at least 18 times too much Ba than observed, but this may be within the large modelling uncertainties. In this scenario, binary systems of low mass must have formed in the early Universe. If true then this puts constraints on the primordial initial mass function.Comment: Accepted for publication on Astronomy & Astrophysics Letter

Examining exotic structure of proton-rich nucleus 23^{23}Al

The longitudinal momentum distribution (P_{//}) of fragments after one-proton removal from ^{23} Al and reaction cross sections (\sigma_R) for ^{23,24} Al on carbon target at 74A MeV have been measured. The ^{23,24} Al ions were produced through projectile fragmentation of 135 A MeV ^{28} Si primary beam using RIPS fragment separator at RIKEN. P_{//} is measured by a direct time-of-flight (TOF) technique, while \sigma_R is determined using a transmission method. An enhancement in \sigma_R is observed for ^{23} Al compared with ^{24} Al. The P_{//} for ^{22} Mg fragments from ^{23} Al breakup has been obtained for the first time. FWHM of the distributions has been determined to be 232 \pm 28 MeV/c. The experimental data are discussed by using Few-Body Glauber model. Analysis of P_{//} demonstrates a dominant d-wave configuration for the valence proton in ground state of ^{23} Al, indicating that ^{23} Al is not a proton halo nucleus

Transition of the Stellar Initial Mass Function Explored with Binary Population Synthesis

The stellar initial mass function (IMF) plays a crucial role in determining the number of surviving stars in galaxies, the chemical composition of the interstellar medium, and the distribution of light in galaxies. A key unsolved question is whether the IMF is universal in time and space. Here we use state-of-the-art results of stellar evolution to show that the IMF of our Galaxy made a transition from an IMF dominated by massive stars to the present-day IMF at an early phase of the Galaxy formation. Updated results from stellar evolution in a wide range of metallicities have been implemented in a binary population synthesis code, and compared with the observations of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars in our Galaxy. We find that applying the present-day IMF to Galactic halo stars causes serious contradictions with four observable quantities connected with the evolution of AGB stars. Furthermore, a comparison between our calculations and the observations of CEMP stars may help us to constrain the transition metallicity for the IMF which we tentatively set at [Fe/H] = -2. A novelty of the current study is the inclusion of mass loss suppression in intermediate-mass AGB stars at low-metallicity. This significantly reduces the overproduction of nitrogen-enhanced stars that was a major problem in using the high-mass star dominated IMF in previous studies. Our results also demonstrate that the use of the present day IMF for all time in chemical evolution models results in the overproduction of Type I.5 supernovae. More data on stellar abundances will help to understand how the IMF has changed and what caused such a transition.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted by MNRAS Lette

Effect of Long-lived Strongly Interacting Relic Particles on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

It has been suggested that relic long-lived strongly interacting massive particles (SIMPs, or $X$ particles) existed in the early universe. We study effects of such long-lived unstable SIMPs on big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) assuming that such particles existed during the BBN epoch, but then decayed long before they could be detected. The interaction strength between an $X$ particle and a nucleon is assumed to be similar to that between nucleons. We then calculate BBN in the presence of the unstable neutral charged $X^0$ particles taking into account the capture of $X^0$ particles by nuclei to form $X$-nuclei. We also study the nuclear reactions and beta decays of $X$-nuclei. We find that SIMPs form bound states with normal nuclei during a relatively early epoch of BBN. This leads to the production of heavy elements which remain attached to them. Constraints on the abundance of $X^0$ particles during BBN are derived from observationally inferred limits on the primordial light element abundances. Particle models which predict long-lived colored particles with lifetimes longer than $\sim$ 200 s are rejected based upon these constraints.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Decoherence, fluctuations and Wigner function in neutron optics

We analyze the coherence properties of neutron wave packets, after they have interacted with a phase shifter undergoing different kinds of statistical fluctuations. We give a quantitative (and operational) definition of decoherence and compare it to the standard deviation of the distribution of the phase shifts. We find that in some cases the neutron ensemble is more coherent, even though it has interacted with a wider (i.e. more disordered) distribution of shifts. This feature is independent of the particular definition of decoherence: this is shown by proposing and discussing an alternative definition, based on the Wigner function, that displays a similar behavior. We briefly discuss the notion of entropy of the shifts and find that, in general, it does not correspond to that of decoherence of the neutron.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure

Recruitment, augmentation and apoptosis of rat osteoclasts in 1,25-(OH)2D3 response to short-term treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3in vivo

Background Although much is known about the regulation of osteoclast (OC) formation and activity, little is known about OC senescence. In particular, the fate of of OC seen after 1,25-(OH)2D3 administration in vivo is unclear. There is evidence that the normal fate of OC is to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death). We have investigated the effect of short-term application of high dose 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) on OC apoptosis in an experimental rat model. Methods OC recruitment, augmentation and apoptosis was visualised and quantitated by staining histochemically for tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), double staining for TRAP/ED1 or TRAP/DAPI, in situ DNA fragmentation end labelling and histomorphometric analysis. Results Short-term treatment with high-dose 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased the recruitment of OC precursors in the bone marrow resulting in a short-lived increase in OC numbers. This was rapidly followed by an increase in the number of apoptotic OC and their subsequent removal. The response of OC to 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment was dose and site dependent; higher doses producing stronger, more rapid responses and the response in the tibiae being consistently stronger and more rapid than in the vertebrae. Conclusions This study demonstrates that (1) after recruitment, OC are removed from the resorption site by apoptosis (2) the combined use of TRAP and ED1 can be used to identify OC and their precursors in vivo (3) double staining for TRAP and DAPI or in situ DNA fragmentation end labelling can be used to identify apoptotic OC in vivo

Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars in the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

JHK_S photometry is presented for a 35 arcmin square field centred on the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy. With the aid of published kinematic data definite galaxy members are identified and the width in J-K of the colour-magnitude diagram is shown to be consistent with an old population of stars with a large range in metal abundance. We identify two Asymptotic Giant Branch variables, both carbon Miras, with periods of 189 and 554 days, respectively, and discuss their ages, metallicities and mass loss as well as their positions in the Mira period-luminosity diagram. There is evidence for a general period-age relation for Local Group Miras. The mass-loss rate for the 554-day variable, MAG29, appears to be consistent with that found for Miras of comparable period in other Local Group galaxies.Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA