An Intensive Search for r-process-Enhanced Stars, and Abundance Patterns in the Early Galaxy

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An Intensive Search for r-process-Enhanced Stars, and Abundance Patterns in the Early GalaxyABSTRACTAST 0406784 Timothy BeersDr. Timothy Beers, at Michigan State University, will undertake a program to complete a large-scale search for very metal-poor stars in the halo of the Galaxy that, based on a rapid sequence of neutron absorptions in nuclear reactions, are referred to as highly "rapid-process-enhanced", or "r-process-enhanced" stars. Highly r-process-enhanced, very metal-poor stars provide a means to investigate the nature of the r-process itself in the early Galaxy, the sites for the production of the r-process elements and the age of the Galaxy. This latter effort is significant because the PI uses a method that is independent of precise knowledge of stellar evolution, chemical evolution of the Galaxy, and cosmological models. The proposal also seeks support for the analysis of the chemical elemental abundances for the large sample of low metallicity giants that are the candidates for the search. The research will have broad impact on a number of research areas, including astronomy, nuclear physics, and chemistry. Opportunities for traini