Abstract Details
| Name: Drisya Karinkuzhi Affiliation: University of Calicut Conference ID: ASI2025_608 Title : Neutron capture processes and Galactic chemical evolution Authors and Co-Authors : DrisyaKarinkuzhi Abstract Type : Invited Abstract Category : Stars, Interstellar Medium, and Astrochemistry in Milky Way Abstract : Elements heavier than iron are primarily produced by two neutron capture processes, the slow neutron-capture process (s-process) and the rapid-neutron capture process (r-process). As low and intermediate stars reach the end of their lives, their physical conditions are suitable for the s-process, which produces half of the heavy elements. A second half of the heavy elements are formed when neutron stars or black holes merge under more exotic conditions. An intermediate neutron-capture process is introduced to explain the double enrichment of s- and r-processes observed by a group of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, which occurs at conditions intermediate between those of s- and r-processes. Although most heavy elements have a fairly well-defined origin, the presence of multiple stable isotopes with different nucleosynthetic origins still makes it unclear what role and contribution neutron capture processes play in their production. Additionally, peculiar behaviors shown by key elements such as C and N, have not yet been properly explained with the existing theories of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. Our recent attempts, based both on elemental abundances and isotopic abundances, to understand the role of different neutron capture processes on the production of heavy elements and also on the overall chemical enrichment of the galaxies will be discussed in my presentation. |