Speaker
Description
Carbon-oxygen (C-O) shell mergers in the late evolutionary stages of massive stars play a crucial role in determining their final fate and have a significant impact on the pre-supernova and explosive nucleosynthesis. In this talk, I will explore the complex dynamics within C-O shells, and how these interactions drive the production of intermediate and heavy elements. In particular I will address how stellar models experiencing a C-O shell merger can efficiently produce odd-Z nuclei such as P, Cl, K, and Sc, and some of their (short-lived) radioactive isotopes as $^{36}$Cl and $^{40}$K. I will then outline how the occurrence of such a merger would favour the successful explosion of a massive star, leading to the enrichment of the interstellar medium with a very peculiar nucleosynthetic signature.
| Career stage | Early-career researcher (within 5 years of PhD) |
|---|