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Register a new userNon-standard s process in low metallicity massive rotating stars
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Context. Rotation is known to affect the nucleosynthesis of light elements in massive stars, mainly by rotation-induced mixing. In particular, rotation boosts the primary nitrogen production. Models of rotating stars are able to reproduce the nitrogen observed in low-Z halo stars. Aims. Here we present the first grid of stellar models for rotating massive stars at low Z, where a full s-process network is used to study the impact of rotation-induced mixing on the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements. Methods. We used the Geneva stellar evolution code that includes an enlarged reaction network with nuclear species up to bismuth to calculate 25 M$_odot$ models at three different Z and with different initial rotation rates. Results. First, we confirm that rotation-induced mixing leads to a production of primary $^{22}$Ne, which is the main neutron source for the s process in massive stars. Therefore rotation boosts the s process in massive stars at all Z. Second, the neutron-to-seed ratio increases with decreasing Z in models including rotation, which leads to the complete consumption of all iron seeds at Z < 1e-3 by the end of core He-burning. Thus at low Z, the iron seeds are the main limitation for this boosted s process. Third, as Z decreases, the production of elements up to the Ba peak increases at the expense of the elements of the Sr peak. We studied the impact of the initial rotation rate and of the uncertain $^{17}$O$(alpha,gamma)$ rate (which strongly affects the neutron poison strength of $^{16}$O) on our results. This study shows that rotating models can produce significant amounts of elements up to Ba over a wide range of Z. Fourth, compared to the He-core, the primary $^{22}$Ne production in the He-shell is even higher (> 1% in mass fraction at all Z), which could open the door for an explosive neutron capture nucleosynthesis in the He-shell, with a primary neutron source.
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Recent studies show that rotation significantly affects the s-process in massive stars. We provide tables of yields for non-rotating and rotating massive stars between 10 and 150 $M_{odot}$ at $Z=10^{-3}$ ([Fe/H] $=-1.8$). Tables for different mass cuts are provided. The complete s-process is followed during the whole evolution with a network of 737 isotopes, from Hydrogen to Polonium. A grid of stellar models with initial masses of 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, 60, 85, 120 and 150 $M_{odot}$ and with an initial rotation rate of both 0 or 40$~%$ of the critical velocity was computed. Three extra models were computed in order to investigate the effect of faster rotation (70$~%$ of the critical velocity) and of a lower $^{17}$O($alpha,gamma$) reaction rate. At the considered metallicity, rotation has a strong impact on the production of s-elements for initial masses between 20 and 60 $M_{odot}$. In this range, the first s-process peak is boosted by $2-3$ dex if rotation is included. Above 60 $M_{odot}$, s-element yields of rotating and non-rotating models are similar. Increasing the initial rotation from 40$~%$ to 70$~%$ of the critical velocity enhances the production of $40 lesssim Z lesssim 60$ elements by $sim 0.5-1$ dex. Adopting a reasonably lower $^{17}$O($alpha,gamma$) rate in the fast rotating model (70$~%$ of the critical velocity) boosts again the yields of s-elements with $55 lesssim Z lesssim 82$ by about 1 dex. In particular, a modest amount of Pb is produced. Together with s-elements, some light elements (particularly fluorine) are strongly overproduced in rotating models.
A large sample of carbon enhanced metal-poor stars enriched in s-process elements (CEMP-s) have been observed in the Galactic halo. These stars of low mass (M ~ 0.9 Msun) are located on the main-sequence or the red giant phase, and do not undergo third dredge-up (TDU) episodes. The s-process enhancement is most plausibly due to accretion in a binary system from a more massive companion when on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase (now a white dwarf). In order to interpret the spectroscopic observations, updated AGB models are needed to follow in detail the s-process nucleosynthesis. We present nucleosynthesis calculations based on AGB stellar models obtained with FRANEC (Frascati Raphson-Newton Evolutionary Code) for low initial stellar masses and low metallicities. For a given metallicity, a wide spread in the abundances of the s-process elements is obtained by varying the amount of 13C and its profile in the pocket, where the 13C(a, n)16O reaction is the major neutron source, releasing neutrons in radiative conditions during the interpulse phase. We account also for the second neutron source 22Ne(a, n)25Mg, partially activated during convective thermal pulses. We discuss the surface abundance of elements from carbon to bismuth, for AGB models of initial masses M = 1.3 -- 2 Msun, low metallicities ([Fe/H] from -1 down to -3.6) and for different 13C-pockets efficiencies. In particular we analyse the relative behaviour of the three s-process peaks: light-s (ls at magic neutron number N = 50), heavy-s (hs at N = 82) and lead (N = 126). Two s-process indicators, [hs/ls] and [Pb/hs], are needed in order to characterise the s-process distribution. In the online material, we provide a set of data tables with surface predictions. ...
The goal of this paper is to analyze the impact of a primary neutron source on the s-process nucleosynthesis in massive stars at halo metallicity. Recent stellar models including rotation at very low metallicity predict a strong production of primary N14. Part of the nitrogen produced in the H-burning shell diffuses by rotational mixing into the He core where it is converted to Ne22 providing additional neutrons for the s process. We present nucleosynthesis calculations for a 25 Msun star at [Fe/H] = -3, -4, where in the convective core He-burning about 0.8 % in mass is made of primary Ne22. The usual weak s-process shape is changed by the additional neutron source with a peak between Sr and Ba, where the s-process yields increase by orders of magnitude with respect to the yields obtained without rotation. Iron seeds are fully consumed and the maximum production of Sr, Y and Zr is reached. On the other hand, the s-process efficiency beyond Sr and the ratio Sr/Ba are strongly affected by the amount of Ne22 and by nuclear uncertainties, first of all by the Ne22(alpha,n)Mg25 reaction. Finally, assuming that Ne22 is primary in the considered metallicity range, the s-process efficiency decreases with metallicity due to the effect of the major neutron poisons Mg25 and Ne22. This work represents a first step towards the study of primary neutron source effect in fast rotating massive stars, and its implications are discussed in the light of spectroscopic observations of heavy elements at halo metallicity.
The s-process in massive stars, producing nuclei up to $Aapprox 90$, has a different behaviour at low metallicity if stellar rotation is significant. This enhanced s-process is distinct from the s-process in massive stars around solar metallicity, and details of the nucleosynthesis are poorly known. We investigated nuclear physics uncertainties in the enhanced s-process in metal-poor stars within a Monte-Carlo framework. We applied temperature-dependent uncertainties of reaction rates, distinguishing contributions from the ground state and from excited states. We found that the final abundance of several isotopes shows uncertainties larger than a factor of 2, mostly due to the neutron capture uncertainties. A few nuclei around branching points are affected by uncertainties in the $beta$-decay.
We provide an individual analysis of 94 carbon enhanced metal-poor stars showing an s-process enrichment (CEMP-s) collected from the literature. The s-process enhancement observed in these stars is ascribed to mass transfer by stellar winds in a binary system from a more massive companion evolving faster toward the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. The theoretical AGB nucleosynthesis models have been presented in Paper I. Several CEMP-s stars show an enhancement in both s and r-process elements (CEMP-s/r). In order to explain the peculiar abundances observed in CEMP-s/r stars, we assume that the molecular cloud from which CEMP-s formed was previously enriched in r-elements by Supernovae pollution. A general discussion and the method adopted in order to interpret the observations have been provided in Paper II. We present in this paper a detailed study of spectroscopic observations of individual stars. We consider all elements from carbon to bismuth, with particular attention to the three s-process peaks, ls (Y, Zr), hs (La, Nd, Sm) and Pb, and their ratios [hs/ls] and [Pb/hs]. The presence of an initial r-process contribution may be typically evaluated by the [La/Eu] ratio. We found possible agreements between theoretical predictions and spectroscopic data. In general, the observed [Na/Fe] (and [Mg/Fe]) provide information on the AGB initial mass, while [hs/ls] and [Pb/hs] are mainly indicators of the s-process efficiency. A range of 13C-pocket strengths is required to interpret the observations. However, major discrepancies between models and observations exist. We highlight star by star the agreements and the main problems encountered and, when possible, we suggest potential indications for further studies. These discrepancies provide starting points of debate for unsolved problems ...
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