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3 - Origin of the Elements

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2022

Harry McSween, Jr  and
Gary Huss
Harry McSween, Jr
Affiliation:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Gary Huss
Affiliation:
University of Hawaii, Manoa
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Summary

Formation of elements during the Big Bang and in stars and in interstellar space, evolution of abundances with time

Keywords

stellar nucleosynthesisBig BangHertzsprung-Russell diagramstellar massesstellar evolutionnuclear reactionsgalactic chemical evolution
Type
Chapter
Information
Cosmochemistry , pp. 37 - 59
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

Suggestions for Further Reading

Busso, M., Gallino, R., and Wasserburg, G. J. (1999) Nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch stars: Relevance for galactic enrichment and solar system formation. Annual Reviews of Astronomy & Astrophysics, 37, 239–309. A good review of nucleosynthesis in low- and intermediate-mass stars.Google Scholar
Hawking, S. W. (1988) A Brief History of Time. Bantam Books, New York, 198 pp. A readable but authoritative book about cosmology and the Big Bang, written by one of the leading scientists in the field.Google Scholar
Herwig, F. (2005) Evolution of asymptotic giant branch stars. Annual Reviews of Astronomy & Astrophysics, 43, 435–479. An excellent discussion of the evolution of AGB stars.Google Scholar
Johnson, J. A. (2019) Populating the period table: Nucleosynthesis of the elements. Science, 363, 474–478. An accessible discussion of all of the various processes that produced the elements that make up the universe.Google Scholar
Weinberg, S. (1993) The First Three Minutes. Basic Books, New York, 191 pp. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Weinberg discusses the very beginnings of the universe in this influential book. It is a bit more detailed and challenging than Hawking’s book but provides more detail about the Big Bang.Google Scholar
Alpher, R. A., Bethe, H., and Gamow, G. (1948) The origin of chemical elements. Physical Review, 73, 803–804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bahcall, J. N., Pinsonneault, M. H., and Basu, S. (2001) Solar models: Current epoch and time dependences, neutrinos, and helioseismological properties. Astrophysical Journal, 555, 990–1012.Google Scholar
Basu, S., and Rana, N. C. (1992) Multiplicity-corrected mass function of main-sequence stars in the solar neighborhood. Astrophysical Journal, 393, 373–384.Google Scholar
Burbidge, E. M., Burbidge, G. R., Fowler, W. A., and Hoyle, F. (1957) Synthesis of elements in stars. Reviews of Modern Physics, 29, 547–650.Google Scholar
Caughlan, G. R., and Fowler, W. A. (1988) Thermonuclear reaction rates V. Cosmic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, 40, 283–334.Google Scholar
Catling, D. C., and Kasting, J. F. (2017) Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds. Cambridge University Press, New York, 579 pp.Google Scholar
Champagne, A. E., and Wiescher, M. (1992) Explosive hydrogen burning. Annual Reviews of Nuclear and Particle Science, 42, 39–76.Google Scholar
Dearborn, D. S. P. (1992) Diagnostics of stellar evolution: The oxygen isotopes. Physics Reports, 210, 367–382.Google Scholar
Kobayashi, C., Umeda, H., Nomoto, K., et al. (2006) Galactic chemical evolution: Carbon through zinc. Astrophysical Journal, 653, 1145–1171.Google Scholar
Korobkin, O., Rosswog, S., Arcones, A., and Winteler, C. (2012) On the astrophysical robustness of the neutron star merger r-process. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 426, 1940–1949.Google Scholar
Kroupa, P. (2002) The initial mass function of stars: Evidence for uniformity in variable systems. Science, 295, 82–91.Google Scholar
Qian, Y.-Z., and Woosley, S. E. (1996) Nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven winds. I. The physical conditions. Astrophysical Journal, 471, 331–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qian, Y.-Z., and Wasserburg, G. J. (2007) Where, oh where has the r-process gone? Physics Reports, 442, 237–268.Google Scholar
Rolfs, C. E., and Rodney, W. S (1988) Cauldrons in the Cosmos. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 561 pp.Google Scholar
Spencer, J. (2019) The faint young sun problem revisited. GSA Today, 29, 4–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Other ReferencesThielemann, F.-K., Eichler, M., Panov, I.V., and Wehmeyer, B. (2017) Neutron star mergers and nucleosynthesis of heavy elements. Annual Reviews of Nuclear & Particle Science, 67, 24.Google Scholar
Other Referencesvan de Voort, F., Quataert, E., Hopkins, P. F., et al. (2015) Galactic r-process enrichment by neutron star mergers in cosmological simulations of a Milky Way-mass galaxy. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 447, 140–148.Google Scholar
Woosley, S. E., and Hoffman, R. D. (1992) The α-process and the r-process. Astrophysical Journal, 395, 202–239.Google Scholar
Alpher, R. A., Bethe, H., and Gamow, G. (1948) The origin of chemical elements. Physical Review, 73, 803–804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bahcall, J. N., Pinsonneault, M. H., and Basu, S. (2001) Solar models: Current epoch and time dependences, neutrinos, and helioseismological properties. Astrophysical Journal, 555, 990–1012.Google Scholar
Basu, S., and Rana, N. C. (1992) Multiplicity-corrected mass function of main-sequence stars in the solar neighborhood. Astrophysical Journal, 393, 373–384.Google Scholar
Burbidge, E. M., Burbidge, G. R., Fowler, W. A., and Hoyle, F. (1957) Synthesis of elements in stars. Reviews of Modern Physics, 29, 547–650.Google Scholar
Caughlan, G. R., and Fowler, W. A. (1988) Thermonuclear reaction rates V. Cosmic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, 40, 283–334.Google Scholar
Catling, D. C., and Kasting, J. F. (2017) Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds. Cambridge University Press, New York, 579 pp.Google Scholar
Champagne, A. E., and Wiescher, M. (1992) Explosive hydrogen burning. Annual Reviews of Nuclear and Particle Science, 42, 39–76.Google Scholar
Dearborn, D. S. P. (1992) Diagnostics of stellar evolution: The oxygen isotopes. Physics Reports, 210, 367–382.Google Scholar
Kobayashi, C., Umeda, H., Nomoto, K., et al. (2006) Galactic chemical evolution: Carbon through zinc. Astrophysical Journal, 653, 1145–1171.Google Scholar
Korobkin, O., Rosswog, S., Arcones, A., and Winteler, C. (2012) On the astrophysical robustness of the neutron star merger r-process. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 426, 1940–1949.Google Scholar
Kroupa, P. (2002) The initial mass function of stars: Evidence for uniformity in variable systems. Science, 295, 82–91.Google Scholar
Qian, Y.-Z., and Woosley, S. E. (1996) Nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven winds. I. The physical conditions. Astrophysical Journal, 471, 331–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qian, Y.-Z., and Wasserburg, G. J. (2007) Where, oh where has the r-process gone? Physics Reports, 442, 237–268.Google Scholar
Rolfs, C. E., and Rodney, W. S (1988) Cauldrons in the Cosmos. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 561 pp.Google Scholar
Spencer, J. (2019) The faint young sun problem revisited. GSA Today, 29, 4–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Other ReferencesThielemann, F.-K., Eichler, M., Panov, I.V., and Wehmeyer, B. (2017) Neutron star mergers and nucleosynthesis of heavy elements. Annual Reviews of Nuclear & Particle Science, 67, 24.Google Scholar
Other Referencesvan de Voort, F., Quataert, E., Hopkins, P. F., et al. (2015) Galactic r-process enrichment by neutron star mergers in cosmological simulations of a Milky Way-mass galaxy. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 447, 140–148.Google Scholar
Woosley, S. E., and Hoffman, R. D. (1992) The α-process and the r-process. Astrophysical Journal, 395, 202–239.Google Scholar

Other References

Alpher, R. A., Bethe, H., and Gamow, G. (1948) The origin of chemical elements. Physical Review, 73, 803–804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bahcall, J. N., Pinsonneault, M. H., and Basu, S. (2001) Solar models: Current epoch and time dependences, neutrinos, and helioseismological properties. Astrophysical Journal, 555, 990–1012.Google Scholar
Basu, S., and Rana, N. C. (1992) Multiplicity-corrected mass function of main-sequence stars in the solar neighborhood. Astrophysical Journal, 393, 373–384.Google Scholar
Burbidge, E. M., Burbidge, G. R., Fowler, W. A., and Hoyle, F. (1957) Synthesis of elements in stars. Reviews of Modern Physics, 29, 547–650.Google Scholar
Caughlan, G. R., and Fowler, W. A. (1988) Thermonuclear reaction rates V. Cosmic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, 40, 283–334.Google Scholar
Catling, D. C., and Kasting, J. F. (2017) Atmospheric Evolution on Inhabited and Lifeless Worlds. Cambridge University Press, New York, 579 pp.Google Scholar
Champagne, A. E., and Wiescher, M. (1992) Explosive hydrogen burning. Annual Reviews of Nuclear and Particle Science, 42, 39–76.Google Scholar
Dearborn, D. S. P. (1992) Diagnostics of stellar evolution: The oxygen isotopes. Physics Reports, 210, 367–382.Google Scholar
Kobayashi, C., Umeda, H., Nomoto, K., et al. (2006) Galactic chemical evolution: Carbon through zinc. Astrophysical Journal, 653, 1145–1171.Google Scholar
Korobkin, O., Rosswog, S., Arcones, A., and Winteler, C. (2012) On the astrophysical robustness of the neutron star merger r-process. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 426, 1940–1949.Google Scholar
Kroupa, P. (2002) The initial mass function of stars: Evidence for uniformity in variable systems. Science, 295, 82–91.Google Scholar
Qian, Y.-Z., and Woosley, S. E. (1996) Nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven winds. I. The physical conditions. Astrophysical Journal, 471, 331–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qian, Y.-Z., and Wasserburg, G. J. (2007) Where, oh where has the r-process gone? Physics Reports, 442, 237–268.Google Scholar
Rolfs, C. E., and Rodney, W. S (1988) Cauldrons in the Cosmos. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 561 pp.Google Scholar
Spencer, J. (2019) The faint young sun problem revisited. GSA Today, 29, 4–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Other ReferencesThielemann, F.-K., Eichler, M., Panov, I.V., and Wehmeyer, B. (2017) Neutron star mergers and nucleosynthesis of heavy elements. Annual Reviews of Nuclear & Particle Science, 67, 24.Google Scholar
Other Referencesvan de Voort, F., Quataert, E., Hopkins, P. F., et al. (2015) Galactic r-process enrichment by neutron star mergers in cosmological simulations of a Milky Way-mass galaxy. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 447, 140–148.Google Scholar
Woosley, S. E., and Hoffman, R. D. (1992) The α-process and the r-process. Astrophysical Journal, 395, 202–239.Google Scholar

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