| Issue |
A&A
Volume 469, Number 3, July III 2007
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 1013 - 1025 | |
| Section | Stellar structure and evolution | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066861 | |
| Published online | 02 May 2007 | |
The s-process in stellar population synthesis: a new approach to understanding AGB stars*
Sterrekundig Instituut Utrecht (SIU), Universiteit Utrecht, PO Box 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands e-mail: bonacic@astro.uu.nl
Received:
2
December
2006
Accepted:
5
March
2007
Context.Thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are the main producers of slow neutron capture (s-) process elements, but there are still large uncertainties associated with the formation of the main neutron source, 13C, and with the physics of these stars in general. Observations of s-process element enhancements in stars can be used as constraints on theoretical models.
Aims.For the first time we have applied stellar population synthesis to the problem of s-process nucleosynthesis in AGB stars, in order to derive constraints on free parameters describing the physics behind the third dredge-up and the properties of the neutron source.
Methods.We utilize a rapid evolution and nucleosynthesis code to synthesize different populations of s-enhanced stars, and compare them to their observational counterparts to find out which values of the free parameters in the code produce synthetic populations that fit the observed populations best. These free parameters are the amount of third dredge-up, the minimum core mass for third dredge-up, the effectiveness of 13C as a source of neutrons, and the size in mass of the 13C pocket.
Results.We find that galactic disk objects are reproduced by a spread
of a factor of two in the effectiveness of the 13C neutron
source. Lower metallicity objects can be
reproduced only by lowering the
average value of the effectiveness of the 13C neutron source
needed for the galactic disk objects by at least a factor of 3.
Using observations of s-process elements in post-AGB stars
as constraints we find that dredge-up has to start at a lower core mass
than predicted by current theoretical models, that it has
to be substantial 
) in stars with mass
M 
1.5 
, and
that the mass of the 13C pocket must be about 1/40 that of the intershell region.
Key words: stars: AGB and post-AGB / stars: abundances / nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances
© ESO, 2007
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