Chemical Evolution and Globular Clusters

96-18459 Smith，Verne 史密斯博士计划进行一项研究计划，这将增加对恒星核合成和银河系早期化学演化的理解。 他的观测计划将调查球状星团中的恒星丰度和我们银河系的晕场，以及附近大麦哲伦星云中的场星。 这些人口之间的详细丰度剖面的比较将揭示的形成和相对的星星形成的历史，以及由此产生的核合成在这些恒星系统。 史密斯博士打算增加样本的大小和质量，以解决最近几个特别有趣的结果：a）观察到的场晕和球状星团恒星之间r-过程元素丰度模式的差异，以及B）在单个球状星团样本中观察到的轻元素丰度（例如C，N，O，Na）的变化范围和性质。 第一个结果可能表明，早期星系中α过程元素与r过程元素的核合成位点存在分离。 第二个研究领域旨在更好地了解由于内部恒星混合和/或原始丰度效应而导致的丰度变化的相对重要性和原因。 ***

96-18459 Smith, Verne Dr. Smith plans a program of research which will increase understanding of stellar nucleosynthesis and the early chemical evolution of our Galaxy. His observational program will investigate stellar abundances in globular clusters and the halo field of our Milky Way Galaxy, as well as in field stars in the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud. A comparison of the detailed abundance profiles among these populations will shed light on the formation and relative star formation histories, and the resultant nucleosynthesis in these stellar systems. Dr. Smith intends to increase sample sizes and quality to address several particularly intriguing recent results: a) the observed difference in r- process elemental abundance patterns between field halo and globular cluster stars and b) the extent and nature o the variations in light element abundances (e.g. C, N, O, Na) seen among samples in individual globular clusters. The first result may suggest that there has been a segregation in nucleosynthetic sites of the alpha-process versus the r- process elements in the early galaxy. The second area of research is aimed at better understanding the relative importance and cause of abundance variations due to internal stellar mixing and/or primordial abundance effects. ***