The Chemistry of the Galactic Halo

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AST-0607708INSTITUTION: University of Texas at AustinPI: Christopher SnedenTITLE: The Chemistry of the Galactic HaloABSTRACTDr. Christopher Sneden, at the University of Texas at Austin, will undertake a program that has as its basic goal providing Galactic chemical evolution theorists with detailed and accurate chemical compositions of important classes of Galactic halo stars. The goal will be addressed in two general projects: 1) Precise abundance determinations in relatively small stellar samples of several key very heavy elements that are manufactured via short-lived, rapid bursts of neutrons captured by target seed nuclei in event(s) associated with supernova explosions; and 2) Large-sample abundance surveys of lowest-metallicity halo stars, and of stars that show evidence for past mass-transfer episodes from their binary companions. Additionally, the Dr. Sneden and collaborators will expand an ongoing program combining laboratory and solar/stellar abundance investigation of astronomically observable features of selected elements. Special attention will be paid to those neutral and ionized species of greatest interest to research on early Galactic chemical composition surveys.Broader impacts of the work include the continued development, refinement, and web-dissemination of computer codes and atomic/molecular line data to the worldwide community of stellar spectroscopists. Additionally, connections between research and course development and public outreach will result, and Dr. Sneden will be an active participant in an ongoing series of seminars to secondary school educators.