Heavy-element nucleosynthesis

Conference · Tue Oct 30 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6515920

Mathews, G J

New measurements and theoretical studies of nuclear properties, together with new astronomical data on the growth of heavy-element abundances during the early history of the Galaxy, now provide a clearer picture of where in nature the elements heavier than iron are produced by rapid (r-process) and show (s-process) neutron capture reactions. The nuclear data suggest that the r-process involves a high-neutron-density beta-flow equilibrium environment and that the s-process may have occurred at a temperature and neutron density consistent with a {sup 13}C({alpha},n){sup 16}0 neutron source. The astronomical data, when compared with simple galactic chemical evolution modes, suggests that the r-process is associated with type II supernovae and that the neutron source must be manufactured by the star. Low-mass type II supernovae are proposed as the most important contributors to the r-process. A {sup 13}C neutron source in intermediate-mass stars is proposed for the s-process. 64 refs., 7 figs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6515920
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-105121; CONF-9003227-1; ON: DE91004193; TRN: 91-000235
• Resource Relation: Conference: Japanese Physical Society meeting on cosmology and nuclear astrophysics, Osaka (Japan), 30 Mar 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
CAPTURE
CARBON 13
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NEUTRON SOURCES
R PROCESS
S PROCESS
SUPERNOVAE
BARYON REACTIONS
CARBON ISOTOPES
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HADRON REACTIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
PARTICLE SOURCES
RADIATION SOURCES
STABLE ISOTOPES
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
SYNTHESIS
VARIABLE STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
653003 - Nuclear Theory- Nuclear Reactions & Scattering