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M. Pignatari

Publications and source records attributed to M. Pignatari.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Looking for imprints of the first stellar generations in metal-poor bulge field stars

Context. Efforts to look for signatures of the first stars have concentrated on metal-poor halo objects. However, the low end of the bulge metallicity distribution has been shown to host some of the oldest objects in the Milky Way and hence this Galactic component potentially offers interesting targets to look at imprints of the first stellar generations. As a pilot project, we selected bulge field stars already identified in the ARGOS survey as having [Fe/H] ~ -1 and oversolar [alpha/Fe] ratios, and we used FLAMES-UVES to obtain detailed abundances of key elements that are believed to reveal imprints of the first stellar generations. Aims. The main purpose of this study is to analyse selected ARGOS stars using new high-resolution (R~45,000) and high-signal-to-noise (S/N >100) spectra. We aim to derive their stellar parameters and elemental ratios, in particular the abundances of C, N, the alpha-elements O, Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti, the odd-Z elements Na and Al, the neutron-capture s-process dominated elements Y, Zr, La, and Ba, and the r-element Eu. Methods. High-resolution spectra of five field giant stars were obtained at the 8m VLT UT2-Kueyen telescope with the UVES spectrograph in FLAMES-UVES configuration. Spectroscopic parameters were derived based on the excitation and ionization equilibrium of Fe I and Fe II. The abundance analysis was performed with a MARCS LTE spherical model atmosphere grid and the Turbospectrum spectrum synthesis code.

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Application of a Theory and Simulation based Convective Boundary Mixing model for AGB Star Evolution and Nucleosynthesis

The $s$-process nucleosynthesis in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars depends on the modeling of convective boundaries. We present models and s-process simulations that adopt a treatment of convective boundaries based on the results of hydrodynamic simulations and on the theory of mixing due to gravity waves in the vicinity of convective boundaries. Hydrodynamics simulations suggest the presence of convective boundary mixing (CBM) at the bottom of the thermal pulse-driven convective zone. Similarly, convection-induced mixing processes are proposed for the mixing below the convective envelope during third dredge-up where the 13C pocket for the s process in AGB stars forms. In this work we apply a CBM model motivated by simulations and theory to models with initial mass $M = 2$ and $M = 3M_\odot$, and with initial metal content Z = 0.01 and Z = 0.02. As reported previously, the He-intershell abundance of 12C and 16O are increased by CBM at the bottom of pulse-driven convection zone. This mixing is affecting the $^{22}Ne(α,n)^{25}Mg$ activation and the s-process effciency in the 13C-pocket. In our model CBM at the bottom of the convective envelope during the third dredgeup represents gravity wave mixing. We take further into account that hydrodynamic simulations indicate a declining mixing efficiency already about a pressure scale height from the convective boundaries, compared to mixing-length theory. We obtain the formation of the 13C-pocket with a mass of $\approx 10^{-4}M_\odot$. The final $s$-process abundances are characterized by 0.36 < [s=Fe] < 0.78 and the heavy-to-light s-process ratio is 0.23 < [hs=ls] < 0.45. Finally, we compare our results with stellar observations, pre-solar grain measurements and previous work.

astro-ph.SR

NuGrid stellar data set I. Stellar yields from H to Bi for stars with metallicities Z = 0.02 and Z = 0.01

We provide a set of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis calculations that applies established physics assumptions simultaneously to low- and intermediate-mass and massive star models. Our goal is to provide an internally consistent and comprehensive nuclear production and yield data base for applications in areas such as pre-solar grain studies. Our non-rotating models assume convective boundary mixing where it has been adopted before. We include 8 (12) initial masses for $Z = 0.01$ ($0.02$). Models are followed either until the end of the asymptotic giant branch phase or the end of Si burning, complemented by a simple analytic core-collapse supernova models with two options for fallback and shock velocities. The explosions show which pre-supernova yields will most strongly be effected by the explosive nucleosynthesis. We discuss how these two explosion parameters impacts the light elements and the $s$ and $p$ process. For low- and intermediate-mass models our stellar yields from H to Bi include the effect of convective boundary mixing at the He-intershell boundaries and the stellar evolution feedback of the mixing process that produces the $^{13}$C pocket. All post-processing nucleosynthesis calculations use the same nuclear reaction rate network and nuclear physics input. We provide a discussion of the nuclear production across the entire mass range organized by element group. All our stellar nucleosynthesis profile and time evolution output is available electronically, and tools to explore the data on the NuGrid VOspace hosted by the Canadian Astronomical Data Centre are introduced.

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Sensitivity study for s process nucleosynthesis in AGB stars

In this paper we present a large-scale sensitivity study of reaction rates in the main component of the $s$ process. The aim of this study is to identify all rates, which have a global effect on the $s$ process abundance distribution and the three most important rates for the production of each isotope. We have performed a sensitivity study on the radiative $^{13}$C-pocket and on the convective thermal pulse, sites of the $s$ process in AGB stars. We identified 22 rates, which have the highest impact on the $s$-process abundances in AGB stars.

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H ingestion into He-burning convection zones in super-AGB stellar models as a potential site for intermediate neutron-density nucleosynthesis

We investigate the evolution of super-AGB thermal pulse (TP) stars for a range of metallicities (Z) and explore the effect of convective boundary mixing (CBM). With decreasing metallicity and evolution along the TP phase, the He-shell flash and the third dredge-up (TDU) occur closer together in time. After some time (depending upon the CBM parameterisation), efficient TDU begins while the pulse-driven convection zone (PDCZ) is still present, causing a convective exchange of material between the PDCZ and the convective envelope. This results in the ingestion of protons into the convective He-burning pulse. Even small amounts of CBM encourage the interaction of the convection zones leading to transport of protons from the convective envelope into the He layer. H-burning luminosities exceed $10^9$ (in some cases $10^{10}$) $\mathrm{L}_\odot$. We also calculate models of dredge-out in the most massive super-AGB stars and show that the dredge-out phenomenon is another likely site of convective-reactive H-$^{12}$C combustion. We discuss the substantial uncertainties of stellar evolution models under these conditions. Nevertheless, the simulations suggest that in the convective-reactive H-combustion regime of H ingestion the star may encounter conditions for the intermediate neutron capture process (i process). We speculate that some CEMP-s/r stars could originate in i-process conditions in the H-ingestion phases of low-Z SAGB stars. This scenario would however suggest a very low electron-capture supernova rate from super-AGB stars. We also simulate potential outbursts triggered by such H-ingestion events, present their light curves and briefly discuss their transient properties.

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Mn abundances in the stars of the Galactic disc with metallicities -1.0 < [Fe/H] < 0.3

In this work we present and discuss the observations of the Mn abundances for 247 FGK dwarfs, located in the Galactic disc with metallicity -1<Fe/H]<+0.3. The observed stars belong to the substructures of the Galaxy thick and thin discs, and to the Hercules stream. The observations were conducted using the 1.93 m telescope at Observatoire de Haute-Provence (OHP, France) equipped with the echelle type spectrographs ELODIE and SOPHIE. The abundances were derived under the LTE approximation, with an average error for the [Mn/Fe] ratio of 0.10 dex. For most of the stars in the sample Mn abundances are not available in the literature. We obtain an evolution of [Mn/Fe] ratio with the metallicity [Fe/H] consistent with previous data compilations. In particular, within the metallicity range covered by our stellar sample the [Mn/Fe] ratio is increasing with the increase of metallicity. This due to the contribution to the Galactic chemical evolution of Mn and Fe from thermonuclear supernovae. We confirm the baseline scenario where most of the Mn in the Galactic disc and in the Sun is made by thermonuclear supernovae. In particular, the effective contribution from core-collapse supernovae to the Mn in the Solar system is about 10-20%. However, present uncertainties affecting the production of Mn and Fe in thermonuclear supernovae are limiting the constraining power of the observed [Mn/Fe] trend in the Galactic discs on, e.g., the frequency of different thermonuclear supernovae populations. The different production of these two elements in different types of thermonuclear supernovae needs to be disentangled by the dependence of their relative production on the metallicity of the supernova progenitor.

astro-ph.GA

Galactic evolution of rapid neutron capture process abundances: the inhomogeneous approach

For the origin of heavy r-process elements, different sources have been proposed, e.g., core-collapse supernovae or neutron star mergers. Old metal-poor stars carry the signature of the astrophysical source(s). Among the elements dominantly made by the r-process, europium (Eu) is relatively easy to observe. In this work we simulate the evolution of europium in our galaxy with the inhomogeneous chemical evolution model 'ICE', and compare our results with spectroscopic observations. We test the most important parameters affecting the chemical evolution of Eu: (a) for neutron star mergers the coalescence time scale of the merger ($t_{\mathrm{coal}}$) and the probability to experience a neutron star merger event after two supernova explosions occurred and formed a double neutron star system ($P_{\mathrm{NSM}}$) and (b) for the sub-class of magneto-rotationally driven supernovae ("Jet-SNe"), their occurrence rate compared to standard supernovae ($P_{\mathrm{Jet-SN}}$). We find that the observed [Eu/Fe] pattern in the galaxy can be reproduced by a combination of neutron star mergers and magneto-rotationally driven supernovae as r-process sources. While neutron star mergers alone seem to set in at too high metallicities, Jet-SNe provide a cure for this deficiency at low metallicities. Furthermore, we confirm that local inhomogeneities can explain the observed large spread in the europium abundances at low metallicities. We also predict the evolution of [O/Fe] to test whether the spread in $α$-elements for inhomogeneous models agrees with observations and whether this provides constraints on supernova explosion models and their nucleosynthesis.

astro-ph.GA

Probing astrophysically important states in $^{26}$Mg nucleus to study neutron sources for the $s$-Process

The $^{22}$Ne($α$,n)$^{25}$Mg reaction is the dominant neutron source for the slow neutron capture process ($s$-process) in massive stars and contributes, together with the $^{13}$C($α$,n)$^{16}$O, to the production of neutrons for the $s$-process in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. However, the reaction is endothermic and competes directly with the $^{22}$Ne($α,γ)^{26}$Mg radiative capture. The uncertainties for both reactions are large owing to the uncertainty in the level structure of $^{26}$Mg near the alpha and neutron separation energies. These uncertainties are affecting the s-process nucleosynthesis calculations in theoretical stellar models. Indirect studies in the past have been successful in determining the energies, $γ$-ray and neutron widths of the $^{26}$Mg states in the energy region of interest. But, the high Coulomb barrier hinders a direct measurement of the resonance strengths, which are determined by the $α$-widths for these states. The goal of the present experiments is to identify the critical resonance states and to precisely measure the $α$-widths by $α$ transfer techniques . Hence, the $α$-inelastic scattering and $α$-transfer measurements were performed on a solid $^{26}$Mg target and a $^{22}$Ne gas target, respectively, using the Grand Raiden Spectrometer at RCNP, Osaka, Japan. Six levels (E$_x$ = 10717 keV , 10822 keV, 10951 keV, 11085 keV, 11167 keV and 11317 keV) have been observed above the $α$-threshold in the region of interest (10.61 - 11.32 MeV). The rates are dominated in both reaction channels by the resonance contributions of the states at E$_x$ = 10951, 11167 and 11317 keV. The E$_x$ =11167 keV has the most appreciable impact on the ($α,γ$) rate and therefore plays an important role for the prediction of the neutron production in s-process environments.

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The i-process and CEMP-r/s stars

We investigate whether the anomalous elemental abundance patterns in some of the C-enhanced metal-poor-s+r (CEMP-r/s) stars are consistent with predictions of nucleosynthesis yields from the i-process, a neutron-capture regime at neutron densities intermediate between those typical for the slow (s) and rapid (r) processes. Conditions necessary for the i-process are expected to be met at multiple stellar sites, such as the He-core and He-shell flashes in low-metallicity low-mass stars, super-AGB and post-AGB stars, as well as low-metallicity massive stars. We have found that single-exposure one-zone simulations of the i-process reproduce the abundance patterns in some of the CEMP-r/s stars much better than the model that assumes a superposition of yields from s- and r-process sources. Our previous study of nuclear data uncertainties relevant to the i-process revealed that they could have a significant impact on the i-process yields obtained in our idealized one-zone calculations, leading, for example, to ~0.7dex uncertainty in our predicted [Ba/La] ratio. Recent 3D hydrodynamic simulations of convection driven by a He-shell flash in post-AGB Sakurai's object have discovered a new mode of non-radial instabilities: the Global Oscillation of Shell H-ingestion. This has demonstrated that spherically symmetric stellar evolution simulations cannot be used to accurately model physical conditions for the i-process.

astro-ph.SR

The first direct measurement of 12C(12C,n)23Mg at stellar energies

Neutrons produced by the carbon fusion reaction 12C(12C,n)23Mg play an important role in stellar nucleosynthesis. However, past studies have shown large discrepancies between experimental data and theory, leading to an uncertain cross section extrapolation at astrophysical energies. We present the first direct measurement that extends deep into the astrophysical energy range along with a new and improved extrapolation technique based on experimental data from the mirror reaction 12C(12C,p)23Na. The new reaction rate has been determined with a well-defined uncertainty that exceeds the precision required by astrophysics models. Using our constrained rate, we find that 12C(12C,n)23Mg is crucial to the production of Na and Al in Pop-III Pair Instability Supernovae. It also plays a non-negligible role in the production of weak s-process elements as well as in the production of the important galactic gamma-ray emitter 60Fe.

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Carbon-rich presolar grains from massive stars. Subsolar 12C/13C and 14N/15N ratios and the mystery of 15N

Carbon-rich grains with isotopic anomalies compared to the Sun are found in primitive meteorites. They were made by stars, and carry the original stellar nucleosynthesis signature. Silicon carbide grains of Type X and C, and low-density graphites condensed in the ejecta of core-collapse supernovae. We present a new set of models for the explosive He shell and compare them with the grains showing 12C/13C and 14N/15N ratios lower than solar. In the stellar progenitor H was ingested into the He shell and not fully destroyed before the explosion. Different explosion energies and H concentrations are considered. If the SN shock hits the He-shell region with some H still present, the models can reproduce the C and N isotopic signatures in C-rich grains. Hot-CNO cycle isotopic signatures are obtained, including a large production of 13C and 15N. The short-lived radionuclides 22Na and 26Al are increased by orders of magnitude. The production of radiogenic 22Ne from the decay of 22Na in the He shell might solve the puzzle of the Ne-E(L) component in low-density graphite grains. This scenario is attractive for the SiC grains of type AB with 14N/15N ratios lower than solar, and provides an alternative solution for SiC grains originally classified as nova grains. Finally, this process may contribute to the production of 14N and 15N in the Galaxy, helping to produce the 14N/15N ratio in the solar system.

astro-ph.SR

New insights on Ba over-abundance in open clusters. Evidence for the intermediate neutron-capture process at play?

Recently an increasing number of studies were devoted to measure the abundances of neutron-capture elements heavier than iron in stars belonging to Galactic Open Clusters (OCs). OCs span a sizeable range in metallicity -0.6<[Fe/H]<+0.4), and they show abundances of light elements similar to disk stars of the same age. A different pattern is observed for heavy elements. A large scatter is observed for Ba, with most OCs showing [Ba/Fe] and [Ba/La] overabundant with respect to the Sun. The origin of this overabundance is not clearly understood. With the goal of providing new observational insights we determined radial velocities, atmospheric parameters and chemical composition of 27 giant stars members of five OCs: Cr 110, Cr 261, NGC 2477, NGC 2506 and NGC 5822. We used high-resolution spectra obtained with the UVES spectrograph at ESO Paranal. We perform a detailed spectroscopic analysis of these stars to measure the abundance of up to 22 elements per star. We study the dependence of element abundance on metallicity and age with unprecedented detail, complementing our analysis with data culled from the literature. We confirm the trend of Ba overabundance in OCs, and show its large dispersion for clusters younger than ~4 Gyr. Finally, the implications of our results for stellar nucleosynthesis are discussed. We show in this work that the Ba enrichment compared to other neutron-capture elements in OCs cannot be explained by the contributions from the slow neutron-capture process and the rapid neutron-capture process. Instead, we argue that this anomalous signature can be explained by assuming an additional contribution by the intermediate neutron-capture process.

astro-ph.SR

High-resolution abundance analysis of red giants in the globular cluster NGC 6522

The [Sr/Ba] and [Y/Ba] scatter observed in some galactic halo stars that are very metal-poor stars and in a few individual stars of the oldest known Milky Way globular cluster NGC 6522,have been interpreted as evidence of early enrichment by massive fast-rotating stars (spinstars). Because NGC 6522 is a bulge globular cluster, the suggestion was that not only the very-metal poor halo stars, but also bulge stars at [Fe/H]~-1 could be used as probes of the stellar nucleosynthesis signatures from the earlier generations of massive stars, but at much higher metallicity. For the bulge the suggestions were based on early spectra available for stars in NGC 6522, with a medium resolution of R~22,000 and a moderate signal-to-noise ratio. The main purpose of this study is to re-analyse the NGC 6522 stars previously reported using new high-resolution (R~45,000) and high signal-to-noise spectra (S/N>100). We aim at re-deriving their stellar parameters and elemental ratios, in particular the abundances of the neutron-capture s-process-dominated elements such as Sr, Y, Zr, La, and Ba, and of the r-element Eu. High-resolution spectra of four giants belonging to the bulge globular cluster NGC 6522 were obtained at the 8m VLT UT2-Kueyen telescope with the UVES spectrograph in FLAMES-UVESconfiguration. The spectroscopic parameters were derived based on the excitation and ionization equilibrium of \ion{Fe}{I} and \ion{Fe}{II}. Our analysis confirms a metallicity [Fe/H] = -0.95+-0.15 for NGC 6522, and the overabundance of the studied stars in Eu (with +~0.2 < [Eu/Fe] < +~0.4) and alpha-elements O and Mg. The neutron-capture s-element-dominated Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, La now show less pronounced variations from star to star. Enhancements are in the range 0.0 < [Sr/Fe] < +0.4, +0.23 < [Y/Fe] < +0.43, 0.0 < [Zr/Fe] < +0.4, 0.0 < [La/Fe] < +0.35,and 0.05 < [Ba/Fe] < +0.55.

astro-ph.SR

$^{62}$Ni($n,γ$) and $^{63}$Ni($n,γ$) cross sections measured at n_TOF/CERN

The cross section of the $^{62}$Ni($n,γ$) reaction was measured with the time-of-flight technique at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN. Capture kernels of 42 resonances were analyzed up to 200~keV neutron energy and Maxwellian averaged cross sections (MACS) from $kT=5-100$ keV were calculated. With a total uncertainty of 4.5%, the stellar cross section is in excellent agreement with the the KADoNiS compilation at $kT=30$ keV, while being systematically lower up to a factor of 1.6 at higher stellar temperatures. The cross section of the $^{63}$Ni($n,γ$) reaction was measured for the first time at n_TOF. We determined unresolved cross sections from 10 to 270 keV with a systematic uncertainty of 17%. These results provide fundamental constraints on $s$-process production of heavier species, especially the production of Cu in massive stars, which serve as the dominant source of Cu in the solar system.

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Experimental neutron capture data of $^{58}$Ni from the CERN n_TOF facility

The $^{58}$Ni $(n,γ)$ cross section has been measured at the neutron time of flight facility n_TOF at CERN, in the energy range from 27 meV up to 400 keV. In total, 51 resonances have been analyzed up to 122 keV. Maxwellian averaged cross sections (MACS) have been calculated for stellar temperatures of kT$=$5-100 keV with uncertainties of less than 6%, showing fair agreement with recent experimental and evaluated data up to kT = 50 keV. The MACS extracted in the present work at 30 keV is 34.2$\pm$0.6$_\mathrm{stat}\pm$1.8$_\mathrm{sys}$ mb, in agreement with latest results and evaluations, but 12% lower relative to the recent KADoNIS compilation of astrophysical cross sections. When included in models of the s-process nucleosynthesis in massive stars, this change results in a 60% increase of the abundance of $^{58}$Ni, with a negligible propagation on heavier isotopes. The reason is that, using both the old or the new MACS, 58Ni is efficiently depleted by neutron captures.

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Systematic and correlated nuclear uncertainties in the i-process at the neutron shell closure N = 82

Nuclear astrophysics simulations aiming to study the origin of the elements in stars require a multitude of nuclear physics input. Both systematic model dependent and statistically correlated uncertainties need to be considered. An application where realistic uncertainty assessments are especially important is the intermediate neutron capture process or i process: a neutron capture regime with neutron densities intermediate between the slow and rapid processes. Accordingly, the main network flux proceeds on the neutron-rich unstable isotopes up to 4-5 species off the valley of stability. The i process has been clearly identified to be active in post-AGB stars during the Very Late Thermal Pulse H-ingestion event, and a recent work infers about its important role in early generations of stars. Here we demonstrate the effect of propagating systematic nuclear uncertainties from different theoretical models to final abundances for a region around the 2$^\mathrm{nd}$ peak at $A-Z=80$ for elemental ratio predictions involving Ba, La and Eu in i-process conditions. These elements are used to distinguish different n-capture contributions observed in low-metallicity stars. For the simple 1-zone model adopted here, predictions vary as much as a factor of 22 in on possible observational plane ([La/Eu] vs. [Ba/La]). To consider statistically correlated uncertainties, we similarly perform a full nuclear physics uncertainty study within a given Hauser-Feshbach model and demonstrate the role of correlations on the final stellar abundance uncertainties. We show that in i-process conditions the main result of neglecting correlations is to underestimate the impact of nuclear uncertainties on the final nucleosynthesis yields by as much as two orders of magnitude. (continued in document)

astro-ph.SR

Silicon carbide grains of type C provide evidence for the production of the unstable isotope $^{32}$Si in supernovae

Carbon-rich grains are observed to condense in the ejecta of recent core-collapse supernovae, within a year after the explosion. Silicon carbide grains of type X are C-rich grains with isotpic signatures of explosive supernova nucleosynthesis have been found in primitive meteorites. Much rarer silicon carbide grains of type C are a special sub-group of SiC grains from supernovae. They show peculiar abundance signatures for Si and S, isotopically heavy Si and isotopically light S, which appear to to be in disagreement with model predictions. We propose that C grains are formed mostly from C-rich stellar material exposed to lower SN shock temperatures than the more common type X grains. In this scenario, extreme $^{32}$S enrichments observed in C grains may be explained by the presence of short-lived $^{32}$Si ($τ$$_{1/2}$ = 153 years) in the ejecta, produced by neutron capture processes starting from the stable Si isotopes. No mixing from deeper Si-rich material and/or fractionation of Si from S due to molecular chemistry is needed to explain the $^{32}$S enrichments. The abundance of $^{32}$Si in the grains can provide constraints on the neutron density reached during the supernova explosion in the C-rich He shell material. The impact of the large uncertainty of the neutron capture cross sections in the $^{32}$Si region is discussed.

astro-ph.SR

Measurement of the reaction O-17(α,n)Ne-20 and its impact on the s process in massive stars

The ratio between the rates of the reactions O-17(α,n)Ne-20 and O-17(α,γ)Ne-21 determines whether O-16 is an efficient neutron poison for the s process in massive stars, or if most of the neutrons captured by O-16(n,γ) are recycled into the stellar environment. This ratio is of particular relevance to constrain the s process yields of fast rotating massive stars at low metallicity. Recent results on the (α,γ) channel have made it necessary to measure the (α,n) reaction more precisely and investigate the effect of the new data on s process nucleosynthesis in massive stars. We present a new measurement of the O-17(α, n) reaction using a moderating neutron detector. In addition, the (α, n_1) channel has been measured independently by observation of the characteristic 1633 keV γ-transition in Ne-20. The reaction cross section was determined with a simultaneous R-matrix fit to both channels. (α,n) and (α, γ) resonance strengths of states lying below the covered energy range were estimated using their known properties from the literature. A new O-17(α,n) reaction rate was deduced for the temperature range 0.1 GK to 10 GK. It was found that in He burning conditions the (α,γ) channel is strong enough to compete with the neutron channel. This leads to a less efficient neutron recycling compared to a previous suggestion of a very weak (α,γ) channel. S process calculations using our rates confirm that massive rotating stars do play a significant role in the production of elements up to Sr, but they strongly reduce the s process contribution to heavier elements.

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