Start year
1986
Organizational Unit
Organizing institutions
Grants related:
General
Description
Low- to intermediate-mass (M < 8 solar masses, Ms) stars represent the majority of stars in the Cosmos. They finish their lives on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) - just before they form planetary nebulae (PNe) - where they experience complex nucleosynthetic and molecular processes. AGB stars are important contributors to the enrichment of the interstellar medium where new stars/planets are born (including our own Early Solar System, ESS), and to the chemical evolution of stellar systems like globular clusters (GCs) and galaxies. In particular, the more massive (M > 4-5 Ms) AGB stars synthesize very different (radio)isotopes from those formed by lower mass AGB stars and Supernova detonations, as a consequence of different nucleosynthesis mechanisms. Evolved stars in the transition phase between AGB stars and PNe also form diverse organic compounds like PAHs, and fullerene and graphene molecular nanostructures, being a wonderful laboratory for Astrochemistry. On-going massive surveys like SDSS-IV/APOGEE-2 and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) represent a fundamental step forward to understand the nucleosynthesis and molecular processes in evolved stars. We aim to explore the nucleosynthesis of light and heavy (radio)isotopes in AGB stars and how they contribute to the ESS radioactive inventory as well as to the formation and evolution of GCs and galaxies. We also aim at understanding the top-down formation process of fullerene and graphene molecular nanostructures in evolved stars. Finally, it is intended to perform data mining with the Gaia satellite, in order to study the AGB- PNe evolutionary phase. In addition we aim to use the GALEX database to discover binary central stars in Galactic PNe.
Members
Principal investigator
Domingo Aníbal
García Hernández
Project staff
Arturo
Manchado Torres
Thomas
Masseron
Olga María
Zamora Sánchez
LUCIO
CRIVELLARI
Collaborators
Dr.
P. García Lario
Dr.
G. García Segura
Dr.
L. Stanghellini
Dr.
E. Villaver
Carlos
Allende Prieto
Jorge
García Rojas
Dr.
B. Plez
Dr.
A. Karakas
Dr.
M. Lugaro
Dr.
D. Lambert
Dr.
P. Ventura
Dr.
F. Cataldo
Dr.
Andres Yague
Dr.
Sun Kwok
Dr.
R. Szczerba
Dr.
J.M. Trigo Rodríguez
Dr.
K. Rao
S. Sadjadi
M. Manteiga
C. Dafonte
R. Santoveña
L. Bianchi
Sz. Mészáros
S. Cristallo
L. Piersanti
Results
1. During 2020, we have published 37 papers in high-impact international refereed astronomical journals (including one invited review) and 2 papers in the Chemistry -Physics journal FNCN.
2. Phosphorus-rich stars with an extremely peculiar chemical abundance pattern have been discovered for the first time, challenging the theoretical nucleosynthesis predictions.
3. It was demonstrated that the P-rich star progenitors represent a new site for s-process nucleosynthesis, with important implications for the chemical evolution of our Galaxy.
Scientific activity
Related publications
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A super-Earth and a mini-Neptune near the 2:1 MMR straddling the radius valley around the nearby mid-M dwarf TOI-2096Context. Several planetary formation models have been proposed to explain the observed abundance and variety of compositions of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes. In this context, multitransiting systems orbiting low-mass stars whose planets are close to the radius valley are benchmark systems, which help to elucidate which formation model dominatesPozuelos, F. J. et al.
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42023 -
A spectral classification system for hydrogen-deficient carbon starsStellar spectral classification has been highly useful in the study of stars. While there is a currently accepted spectral classification system for carbon stars, the subset of hydrogen-deficient carbon (HdC) stars has not been well described by such a system, due predominantly to their rarity and their variability. Here we present the first systemCrawford, Courtney L. et al.
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52023 -
The chemical characterization of halo substructure in the Milky Way based on APOGEEGalactic haloes in a Λ-CDM universe are predicted to host today a swarm of debris resulting from cannibalized dwarf galaxies. The chemodynamical information recorded in their stellar populations helps elucidate their nature, constraining the assembly history of the Galaxy. Using data from APOGEE and Gaia, we examine the chemical properties ofHorta, Danny et al.
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42023 -
The Gaia-ESO survey: Placing constraints on the origin of r-process elementsContext. A renewed interest in the origin of r-process elements has been stimulated by the multi-messenger observation of the gravitational event GW170817, with the detection of both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves corresponding to the merger of two neutron stars. Such a phenomenon has been proposed as one of the main sources of the rVan der Swaelmen, M. et al.
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22023 -
The intense production of silicates during the final AGB phases of intermediate mass starsContext. The formation of silicates in circumstellar envelopes of stars evolving through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) is still highly debated given the uncertainties affecting stellar evolution modelling, the description of the dust formation process, and the capability of silicate grains to accelerate stellar outflows via radiation pressureMarini, E. et al.
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22023 -
Comparative analysis of atmospheric parameters from high-resolution spectroscopic sky surveys: APOGEE, GALAH, Gaia-ESOContext. SDSS-IV APOGEE-2, GALAH, and Gaia-ESO are high-resolution, ground-based, multi-object spectroscopic surveys providing fundamental stellar atmospheric parameters and multiple elemental abundance ratios for hundreds of thousands of stars of the Milky Way. Data from these and other surveys contribute to investigations of the history andHegedűs, Viola et al.
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22023 -
Hydrogenation of [Li@C60]PF6: A comparison with fulleranes derived from C60García-Hernández, D. Aníbal et al.
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122022 -
On the Presence of Metallofullerenes in Fullerene-rich Circumstellar EnvelopesThe presence of neutral C 60 fullerenes in circumstellar environments has been firmly established by astronomical observations as well as laboratory experiments and quantum-chemistry calculations. However, the large variations observed in the C 60 17.4 μm/18.9 μm band ratios indicate that either additional emitters should contribute to theBarzaga, R. et al.
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12023 -
HD 20329b: An ultra-short-period planet around a solar-type star found by TESSContext. Ultra-short-period (USP) planets are defined as planets with orbital periods shorter than one day. This type of planets is rare, highly irradiated, and interesting because their formation history is unknown. Aims: We aim to obtain precise mass and radius measurements to confirm the planetary nature of a USP candidate found by theLivingston, J. et al.
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122022 -
The messy death of a multiple star system and the resulting planetary nebula as observed by JWSTPlanetary nebulae—the ejected envelopes of red giant stars—provide us with a history of the last, mass-losing phases of 90% of stars initially more massive than the Sun. Here we analyse images of the planetary nebula NGC 3132 from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Early Release Observations. A structured, extended hydrogen halo surrounding anDe Marco, Orsola et al.
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122022 -
The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Motivation, implementation, GIRAFFE data processing, analysis, and final data productsContext. The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey is an ambitious project designed to obtain astrophysical parameters and elemental abundances for 100 000 stars, including large representative samples of the stellar populations in the Galaxy, and a well-defined sample of 60 (plus 20 archive) open clusters. We provide internally consistent resultsGilmore, G. et al.
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102022 -
The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Implementation, data products, open cluster survey, science, and legacy,★Context. In the last 15 years different ground-based spectroscopic surveys have been started (and completed) with the general aim of delivering stellar parameters and elemental abundances for large samples of Galactic stars, complementing Gaia astrometry. Among those surveys, the Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey, the only one performed on a 8mRandich, S. et al.
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102022 -
Estimating the atmospheric properties of 44 M dwarfs from SPIRou spectraWe describe advances on a method designed to derive accurate parameters of M dwarfs. Our analysis consists in comparing high-resolution infrared spectra acquired with the near-infrared spectro-polarimeter SPIRou to synthetic spectra computed from MARCS model atmospheres, in order to derive the effective temperature (T eff), surface gravity (log g)Cristofari, P. I. et al.
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112022 -
BACCHUS Analysis of Weak Lines in APOGEE Spectra (BAWLAS)Elements with weak and blended spectral features in stellar spectra are challenging to measure and require specialized analysis methods to precisely measure their chemical abundances. In this work, we have created a catalog of approximately 120,000 giants with high signal-to-noise Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) DataHayes, Christian R. et al.
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92022 -
The Open Cluster Chemical Abundances and Mapping Survey. VI. Galactic Chemical Gradient Analysis from APOGEE DR17The goal of the Open Cluster Chemical Abundances and Mapping (OCCAM) survey is to constrain key Galactic dynamic and chemical evolution parameters by the construction and analysis of a large, comprehensive, uniform data set of infrared spectra for stars in hundreds of open clusters. This sixth contribution from the OCCAM survey presents analysis ofMyers, Natalie et al.
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92022 -
Asphaltenes as model compounds of the UIBs/AIBs detected in various astrophysical objects. Part 3: Petroleum asphaltenes high energy radiation processedGarcía-Hernández, Domingo Aníbal et al.
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92022 -
Asphaltenes as model compounds of the UIBs/AIBs detected in various astrophysical objects. Part 2 – Natural bitumens asphaltenes carbonizationCataldo, Franco et al.
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72022 -
Chemical Cartography with APOGEE: Mapping Disk Populations with a 2-process Model and Residual AbundancesWe apply a novel statistical analysis to measurements of 16 elemental abundances in 34,410 Milky Way disk stars from the final data release (DR17) of APOGEE-2. Building on recent work, we fit median abundance ratio trends [X/Mg] versus [Mg/H] with a 2-process model, which decomposes abundance patterns into a "prompt" component tracing core-collapseWeinberg, David H. et al.
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62022 -
Asphaltenes as model compounds of the UIBs/AIBs detected in various astrophysical objects. Part 1 – Petroleum asphaltenes carbonizationCataldo, Franco et al.
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52022 -
Is Terzan 5 the remnant of a building block of the Galactic bulge? Evidence from APOGEEIt has been proposed that the globular cluster-like system Terzan 5 is the surviving remnant of a primordial building block of the Milky Way bulge, mainly due to the age/metallicity spread and the distribution of its stars in the α-Fe plane. We employ Sloan Digital Sky Survey data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment toTaylor, Dominic J. et al.
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72022
