Nucleosynthesis

Abstract: amount of energy, a tiny fraction of which is sufficient to explode the star as a supernova. The authors examine our current understanding of the lives and deaths of massive stars, with special attention to the relevant nuclear and stellar physics. Emphasis is placed upon their post-helium-burning evolution. Current views regarding the supernova explosion mechanism are reviewed, and the hydrodynamics of supernova shock propagation and ‘‘fallback’’ is discussed. The calculated neutron star masses, supernova light curves, and spectra from these model stars are shown to be consistent with observations. During all phases, particular attention is paid to the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements. Such stars are capable of producing, with few exceptions, the isotopes between mass 16 and 88 as well as a large fraction of still heavier elements made by the r and p processes.

Abstract: It is pointed out here that neutron-star collisions should synthesize neutron-rich heavy elements, thought to be formed by rapid neutron capture (the r-process). Furthermore, these collisions should produce neutrino bursts and resultant bursts of gamma rays; the latter should comprise a subclass of observable gamma-ray bursts. It is argued that observed r-process abundances and gamma-ray burst rates predict rates for these collisions that are both significant and consistent with other estimates.

Abstract: Growing evidence suggests that the first generation of stars may have been quite massive (~100-300 M?). Could these stars have left a distinct nucleosynthetic signature? We explore the nucleosynthesis of helium cores in the mass range MHe = 64-133 M?, corresponding to main-sequence star masses of approximately 140-260 M?. Above MHe = 133 M?, without rotation and using current reaction rates, a black hole is formed, and no nucleosynthesis is ejected. For lighter helium core masses, ~40-63 M?, violent pulsations occur, induced by the pair instability and accompanied by supernova-like mass ejection, but the star eventually produces a large iron core in hydrostatic equilibrium. It is likely that this core, too, collapses to a black hole, thus cleanly separating the heavy-element nucleosynthesis of pair instability supernovae from those of other masses, both above and below. Indeed, black hole formation is a likely outcome for all Population III stars with main-sequence masses between about 25 and 140 M? (MHe = 9-63 M?) as well as those above 260 M?. Nucleosynthesis in pair instability supernovae varies greatly with the mass of the helium core. This core determines the maximum temperature reached during the bounce. At the upper range of exploding core masses, a maximum of 57 M? of 56Ni is produced, making these the most energetic and the brightest thermonuclear explosions in the universe. Integrating over a distribution of masses, we find that pair instability supernovae produce a roughly solar distribution of nuclei having even nuclear charge (Si, S, Ar, etc.) but are remarkably deficient in producing elements with odd nuclear charge?Na, Al, P, V, Mn, etc. This is because there is no stage of stable post-helium burning to set the neutron excess. Also, essentially no elements heavier than zinc are produced owing to a lack of s- and r-processes. The Fe/Si ratio is quite sensitive to whether the upper bound on the initial mass function is over 260 M? or somewhere between 140 and 260 M?. When the yields of pair instability supernovae are combined with reasonable estimates of the nucleosynthesis of Population III stars from 12 to 40 M?, this distinctive pattern of deficient production of odd-Z elements persists. Some possible strategies for testing our predictions are discussed.