On the cosmic origin of copper, silver, and gold: from atomic structure to stellar abundances

by Sema Caliskan (Theoretical Astrophysics, Uppsala University, Sweden)

Wednesday 8 Apr 2026, 13:30 → 14:30 Europe/Stockholm

FC61 (AlbaNova Main Building)

The cosmic origin of elements heavier than iron remains one of the open questions in astrophysics. These elements are produced through neutron-capture processes in diverse astrophysical sites, but to disentangle their contributions and galactic evolution, we rely on accurate stellar abundances. Deriving these abundances requires reliable 3D/non-LTE models of stellar spectra. However, for many heavy elements, non-LTE modelling is still missing due to the scarcity of accurate atomic data.

During my PhD, I have worked at this intersection, aiming to improve atomic data and construct more accurate non-LTE models for heavy elements. I will present results from different stages of this work, with case studies from copper, silver, and gold, spanning atomic structure calculations, the determination of key atomic data, and non-LTE modelling. I will show how improved atomic data, such as hydrogen collision rates, impact non-LTE abundance determinations of these elements, and how refined abundance trends in turn sharpen our understanding of nucleosynthetic origins and galactic chemical evolution.