arXiv subjects

Christopher West

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher West.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

The Impact of Initial Composition on Massive Star Evolution and Nucleosynthesis

We study the sensitivity of presupernova evolution and supernova nucleosynthesis yields of massive stars to variations of the initial composition. We use the solar abundances from Lodders (2009), and compute two different initial stellar compositions: i) scaled solar abundances, and ii) the isotopic galactic chemical history model (GCH) developed by West and Heger (2013b). We run a grid of models using the KEPLER stellar evolution code, with 7 initial stellar masses, 12 initial metallicities, and two for each scaling method to explore the effects on nucleosynthesis over a metallicity range of $-4.0\leq[Z]\leq+0.3$. We find that the compositions from the GCH model better reproduce the weak \emph{s}-process peak than the scaled solar models. The model yields are then used in the OMEGA Galactic Chemical Evolution (GCE) code to assess this result further. We find that initial abundances used in computing stellar structure have more of an impact on GCE results than initial abundances used in the burn network, with the GCH model again being favored when compared to observations. Lastly, a machine learning algorithm was used to verify the free parameter values of the GCH model, which were previously found by West and Heger (2013b) using a stochastic fitting process. The updated model is provided as an accessible tool for further nucleosynthesis studies.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Random (Un)rounding : Vulnerabilities in Discrete Attribute Disclosure in the 2021 Canadian Census

The 2021 Canadian census is notable for using a unique form of privacy, random rounding, which independently and probabilistically rounds discrete numerical attribute values. In this work, we explore how hierarchical summative correlation between discrete variables allows for both probabilistic and exact solutions to attribute values in the 2021 Canadian Census disclosure. We demonstrate that, in some cases, it is possible to "unround" and extract the original private values before rounding, both in the presence and absence of provided population invariants. Using these methods, we expose the exact value of 624 previously private attributes in the 2021 Canadian census disclosure. We also infer the potential values of more than 1000 private attributes with a high probability of correctness. Finally, we propose how a simple solution based on unbounded discrete noise can effectively negate exact unrounding while maintaining high utility in the final product.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2021

Galactic Isotopic Decomposition for the Sculptor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

Stellar evolution models require initial isotopic abundance sets as input, but these abundances are incomplete outside the solar neighborhood, are challenging to infer from elemental observations, and are galaxy specific. Compositions different from the Milky Way (MW) have distinct chemical histories and are important to explore. We present an isotopic history model for the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph) based on astrophysical processes, using a complementary approach to GCE models, which can estimate isotopic abundances for future nucleosynthesis studies. We approximated the isotopic composition of Sculptor's late stage evolution using the OMEGA chemical evolution code and used Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) predictions as the other boundary condition. Isotopic abundances were scaled from late stage evolution to BBN values according to the astrophysical processes responsible for their production. The isotopic abundances were summed into elemental abundances and fit to observational Sculptor abundance data to tune the free parameters. The completed model gives the average isotopic history of Sculptor for massive star, Type Ia SNe, main $s$-process peak, and $r$-process contributions. We find that Type Ia SNe contribute $\approx$ 86 per cent to the late stage evolution Fe abundance, which agrees with other dSph chemical evolution studies, and is greater than typical MW values of $\approx$ 70 per cent found using a similar process. The model also finds that neutron star mergers contribute $\approx$ 30 per cent to the late stage evolution Eu abundance, suggesting that CCSNe may be the dominant $r$-process progenitors in dSphs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Reducing bias and increasing utility by federated generative modeling of medical images using a centralized adversary

We introduce FELICIA (FEderated LearnIng with a CentralIzed Adversary) a generative mechanism enabling collaborative learning. In particular, we show how a data owner with limited and biased data could benefit from other data owners while keeping data from all the sources private. This is a common scenario in medical image analysis where privacy legislation prevents data from being shared outside local premises. FELICIA works for a large family of Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) architectures including vanilla and conditional GANs as demonstrated in this work. We show that by using the FELICIA mechanism, a data owner with limited image samples can generate high-quality synthetic images with high utility while neither data owners has to provide access to its data. The sharing happens solely through a central discriminator that has access limited to synthetic data. Here, utility is defined as classification performance on a real test set. We demonstrate these benefits on several realistic healthcare scenarions using benchmark image datasets (MNIST, CIFAR-10) as well as on medical images for the task of skin lesion classification. With multiple experiments, we show that even in the worst cases, combining FELICIA with real data gracefully achieves performance on par with real data while most results significantly improves the utility.

stat.ML↗

arXiv2019

The Chemical Evolution of Iron-Peak Elements with Hypernovae

We calculate the mean evolution of the iron-peak abundance ratios [(Cr,Mn,Co,Zn)/Fe] in the Galaxy, using modern supernova and hypernova chemical yields and a Galactic Chemical Evolution code that assumes homogeneous chemical evolution. We investigate a range of hypernova occurrence rates and are able to produce a chemical composition that is a reasonable fit to the observed values in metal-poor stars. This requires a hypernova occurence rate that is large (50%) in the early Universe, decreasing throughout evolution to a value that is within present day observational constraints (>~ 1%). A large hypernova occurence rate is beneficial to matching the high [Zn/Fe] observed in the most metal-poor stars, although including hypernovae with progenitor mass >= 60 solar masses is detrimental to matching the observed [(Mn,Co)/Fe] evolution at low [Fe/H]. A significant contribution from HNe seems to be critical for producing supersolar [(Co,Zn)/Fe] at low metallicity, though more work will need to be done in order to match the most extreme values. We also emphasise the need to update models for the enrichment sources at higher metallicity, as the satisfactory recovery of the solar values of [(Cr,Mn,Co,Zn)/Fe] still presents a challenge.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

Reducing Uncertainties in the Production of the Gamma Emitting Nuclei 26Al, 44Ti, and 60Fe in Core Collapse Supernovae by Using Effective Helium Burning Rates

We have used effective reaction rates (ERR) for the helium burning reactions to predict the yield of the gamma-emitting nuclei 26Al, 44Ti, and 60Fe in core col- lapse supernovae. The variations in the predicted yields for values of the reaction rates allowed by the ERR are much smaller than obtained previously, and smaller than other uncertainties. A "filter" for supernova nucleosynthesis yields based on pre-supernova structure was used to estimate the effect of failed supernovae on the initial mass function-averaged yields; this substantially reduced the yields of all these isotopes, but the predicted yield ratio 60Fe/26Al was little affected. The robustness of this ratio is promising for comparison with data, but it is larger than observed in nature; possible causes for this discrepancy are discussed.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2016

Mass and Metallicity Requirement in Stellar Models for Galactic Chemical Evolution Applications

We used a one-zone chemical evolution model to address the question of how many masses and metallicities are required in grids of massive stellar models in order to ensure reliable galactic chemical evolution predictions. We used a set of yields that includes seven masses between 13 and 30 Msun, 15 metallicities between 0 and 0.03 in mass fraction, and two different remnant mass prescriptions. We ran several simulations where we sampled subsets of stellar models to explore the impact of different grid resolutions. Stellar yields from low- and intermediate-mass stars and from Type Ia supernovae have been included in our simulations, but with a fixed grid resolution. We compared our results with the stellar abundances observed in the Milky Way for O, Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, and Mn. Our results suggest that the range of metallicity considered is more important than the number of metallicities within that range, which only affects our numerical predictions by about 0.1 dex. We found that our predictions at [Fe/H] < -2 are very sensitive to the metallicity range and the mass sampling used for the lowest metallicity included in the set of yields. Variations between results can be as high as 0.8 dex, for any remnant mass prescription. At higher [Fe/H], we found that the required number of masses depends on the element of interest and on the remnant mass prescription. With a monotonic remnant mass prescription where every model explodes as a core-collapse supernova, the mass resolution induces variations of 0.2 dex on average. But with a remnant mass prescription that includes islands of non-explodability, the mass resolution can cause variations of about 0.2 to 0.7 dex depending on the choice of metallicity range. With such a prescription, explosive or non-explosive models can be missed if not enough masses are selected, resulting in over- or under-estimations of the mass ejected by massive stars.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Effective Helium Burning Rates and the Production of the Neutrino Nuclei

Effective values for the key helium burning reaction rates, triple-alpha and 12C(alpha,gamma)16O, are obtained by adjusting their strengths so as to obtain the best match with the solar abundance pattern of isotopes uniquely or predominately made in core collapse supernovae. These effective rates are then used to determine the production of the neutrino isotopes. The use of effective rates considerably reduces the uncertainties in the production factors arising from uncertainties in the helium burning rates, and improves our ability to use the production of 11B to constrain the neutrino emission from supernovae.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

Metallicity-Dependent Galactic Isotopic Decomposition for Nucleosynthesis

All stellar evolution models for nucleosynthesis require an initial isotopic abundance set to use as a starting point. Generally, our knowledge of isotopic abundances of stars is fairly incomplete except for the Solar System. We present a first model for a complete average isotopic decomposition as a function of metallicity. Our model is based on the underlying nuclear astrophysics processes, and is fitted to observational data, rather than traditional forward galactic chemical evolution modeling which integrates stellar yields beginning from big bang nucleosynthesis. We first decompose the isotopic solar abundance pattern into contributions from astrophysical sources. Each contribution is then assumed to scale as a function of metallicity. The resulting total isotopic abundances are summed into elemental abundances and fitted to available halo and disk stellar data to constrain the model's free parameter values. This procedure allows us to use available elemental observational data to reconstruct and constrain both the much needed complete isotopic evolution that is not accessible to current observations, and the underlying astrophysical processes. Our model finds a best fit for Type Ia contributing \simeq 0.7 to the solar Fe abundance, and and Type Ia onset occurring at [Fe/H]\simeq -1.2.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2013

The Impact of Helium-Burning Reaction Rates on Massive Star Evolution and Nucleosynthesis

We study the sensitivity of presupernova evolution and supernova nucleosynthesis yields of massive stars to variations of the helium-burning reaction rates within the range of their uncertainties. We use the current solar abundances from Lodders (2009) for the initial stellar composition. We compute a grid of 12 initial stellar masses and 176 models per stellar mass to explore the effects of independently varying the 12^C(a,g)16^O and 3a reaction rates, denoted R_a12 and R_3a, respectively. The production factors of both the intermediate-mass elements (A=16-40) and the s-only isotopes along the weak s-process path (70Ge, 76Se, 80Kr, 82Kr, 86Sr, and 87Sr) were found to be in reasonable agreement with predictions for variations of R_3a and R_a12 of +/-25%; the s-only isotopes, however, tend to favor higher values of R_3a than the intermediate-mass isotopes. The experimental uncertainty (one standard deviation) in R_3a(R_a12) is approximately +/-10%(+/-25%). The results show that a more accurate measurement of one of these rates would decrease the uncertainty in the other as inferred from the present calculations. We also observe sharp changes in production factors and standard deviations for small changes in the reaction rates, due to differences in the convection structure of the star. The compactness parameter was used to assess which models would likely explode as successful supernovae, and hence contribute explosive nucleosynthesis yields. We also provide the approximate remnant masses for each model and the carbon mass fractions at the end of core-helium burning as a key parameter for later evolution stage

astro-ph.SR↗