Speaker
Falk Herwig
(Theoretical Astrophysics Group, LANL)
Description
AGB stars are the nuclear production phase of low- and intermediate mass stars. The
double-shell burning of He and H around the electron degenerate core drives a rich
pattern of nucleosynthesis, including the slow neutron capture process, as well as
the formation of neutron rich isotopes. This nucleosynthesis is now observationally
accessible in extremely metal poor stars, in particular the carbon enhanced s-
process rich stars in binaries.
Models of AGB star evolution and nucleosynthesis include a wide range of
approaches: parameterized s-process post-processing, stellar evolution models with
various assumptions on stellar mixing as well as, more recently, hydrodynamic
simulations of He-shell flash convection. New studies have been caried out to
investigate the sensitivity of mixing and element production to nuclear reaction
rates.
(LA-UR-05-0900, LA-UR-05-8084, LA-UR-04-5295)
Author
Falk Herwig
(Theoretical Astrophysics Group, LANL)
