Observations of neutron-capture elements in the early galaxy
Neutron-capture elements in low metallicity Galactic halo stars vary widely both in overall contents and detailed abundance patterns. This review discusses recent observational results of the n-capture elements, discussing the implications for early Galactic nucleosynthesis of: (a) the star-to-star...
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Published in | Nuclear physics. A Vol. 718; pp. 29 - 36 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Elsevier B.V
28.07.2003
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Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Neutron-capture elements in low metallicity Galactic halo stars vary widely both in overall contents and detailed abundance patterns. This review discusses recent observational results of the n-capture elements, discussing the implications for early Galactic nucleosynthesis of: (a) the star-to-star “bulk” variations in the n-capture/Fe abundance ratios; (b) the distinct signature of rapid n-capture synthesis events in many (most?) of the lowest metallicity stars; (c) the existence of metal-poor stars heavily enriched in the products of slow n-capture synthesis reactions; and (d) the now-routine detection of radioactive thorium (and even uranium in one and possibly two cases) in the spectra of metal-poor stars. |
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ISSN: | 0375-9474 |
DOI: | 10.1016/S0375-9474(03)00676-6 |