Astronomy Seminars

The Bright Future of Ground-Based Near-UV Spectroscopy for R-rich Stars

by Dr Heitor Ernandes (Lund University)

Europe/Stockholm
LC61 (AlbaNova Main Building)

LC61

AlbaNova Main Building

Description

Abstract: Stars that present an enhancement in r-process elements are rare objects in the sky. Only 72 stars are categorised as r-II stars, which show a high level of enhancement in the elements such as Europium. They are the key to understanding the astrophysical site where these heavy elements can be synthesised and the time scale of these events. However, to have a complete picture of these r-process creation sites, we need the complete abundance pattern for chemically peculiar stars such as actinide boost and CEMP stars. To access all this information, it is needed to observe under 4000 Å. However, this region is heavily affected by atmosphere absorption. Overcoming this challenge, the forthcoming generation of instruments, exemplified by VLT-CUBES, holds significant promise for refining near-UV observational capabilities from the ground.