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A renewed interest about the origin of \emph{r}-process elements has been stimulated by the multi-messenger observation of the gravitational event GW170817, with the detection of both gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves corresponding to the merger of two neutron stars. Such phenomenon has been proposed as one of the main sources of the \emph{r}-process. However, the origin of the \emph{r}-process elements at different metallicities is still under debate. We aim at investigating the origin of the \emph{r}-process elements in the Galactic thin disc population. From the sixth internal data release of the \emph{Gaia}-ESO we have collected a large sample of Milky Way thin- and thick-disc stars for which abundances of Eu, O, and Mg are available. The sample consists of members of 62 open clusters, located at a Galactocentric radius from $\sim 5$ kpc to $\sim 20$ kpc in the disc, in the metallicity range $[-0.5, 0.4]$ and covering an age interval from 0.1 to 7 Gy, and about 1300 Milky Way disc field stars in the metallicity range $[-1.5, 0.5]$. We compare the observations with the results of a chemical evolution model, in which we varied the nucleosynthesis sources for the three considered elements. Our main result is that Eu in the thin disc is predominantly produced by sources with short lifetimes, such as magneto-rotationally driven SNe. There is no strong evidence for additional sources at delayed times. Our findings do not imply that there cannot be a contribution from mergers of neutron stars in other environments, as in the halo or in dwarf spheroidal galaxies, but such a contribution is not needed to explain Eu abundances at thin disc metallicities., 20 pages, accepted for publication in A&A

Among presolar grains, oxide ones are made of oxygen, aluminum, and a small fraction of magnesium, produced by the 26Al decay. The largest part of presolar oxide grains belong to the so-called group 1 and 2, which have been suggested to form in Red Giant Branch (RGB) and Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars, respectively. However, standard stellar nucleosynthesis models cannot account for the 17O/16O, 18O/16O, and 26Al/27Al values recorded in those grains. Hence, for more than 20 years, the occurrence of mixing phenomena coupled with stellar nucleosynthesis have been suggested to account for this peculiar isotopic mix. Nowadays, models of massive AGB stars experiencing Hot Bottom Burning or low mass AGB stars where Cool Bottom Process, or another kind of extra-mixing, is at play, nicely fit the oxygen isotopic mix of group 2 oxide grains. The largest values of the 26Al/27Al ratio seem somewhat more difficult to account for.

We present computations of nucleosynthesis in low‐mass asymptotic‐giant‐branch stars of solar metallicity experiencing deep mixing. In this framework, we discuss the effects of recent improvements in relevant reaction rates for proton captures on intermediate‐mass nuclei. The calculations are then performed on the basis of a parameterized circulation, where the effects of the new nuclear inputs are best compared to previous works. We find that especially the new reaction rate for the 14N(p,γ)15O reaction implies considerable modifications in the composition of low mass red giant stars.

The full understanding of final stellar evolution phases is a fundamental request to properly investigate the Universe at any temporal and spatial scale. While the theoretical scenarios of H‐ and He‐burning have been deeply investigated in the last 30 years, the modelling of stellar evolution beyond the core‐helium burning phase and the related nucleosynthesis still present problems related to the physics and to the numerical methods. Low mass AGB Stars (1

We present a chemical analysis of two metal‐poor carbon stars belonging to the Carina Dwarf Spheroidal galaxy using high resolution optical spectra obtained with the VLT/UVES instrument. Their derived properties and chemical composition are compatible with these stars being in the TP‐AGB phase undergoing third dredge‐up episodes, although their extrinsic nature cannot be definitively discarded. The analysis indicates that these stars have large s‐element enhancements, which are compatible with theoretical s‐process nucleosynthesis predictions in low‐mass AGB stars (∼1.5M⊙), and also large carbon enhancements (C/O⩾5), much larger than the values typically found in galactic AGB carbon stars (C/O∼1–2). This is also in agreement with the theoretical prediction that carbon stars are formed more easily through third dredge‐up episodes as the initial stellar metallicity drops. We speculate on the possibility that the abundance pattern found in the low‐mass s‐elements (Y, Zr) may be revealing the existence of som...

In this contribution we present the first measurements of the C/O ratio for a sample of AGB stars in the LMC globular cluster NGC 1846. From a variability study we set strong constraints on the mass of the cluster stars, which is an important quantity for comparison with evolutionary models. Variations of the surface abundance both with luminosity and pulsation properties were found and the various relevant factors are discussed. We find a good agreement with our synthetic models if we assume [O/Fe] = ±0.2 dex. The F abundance seems to increase with the C/O ratio. As variability plays a key role on the AGB we give some preliminary results from our study of abundance determination in the dynamical case at the end of this paper.

During the AGB phase of low and intermediate mass stars heavy s–process elements are produced and dredged–up in the envelope. In the following Planetary Nebula phase part of the AGB envelope will form the nebula around the hot central star, carrying the s–process signature unchanged. Recently, heavy elements have been observed is many Planetary Nebulae, providing a new tool to analyze the s–process nucleosynthesis working in the AGB stars. In this paper we present s–process predictions for a large spread of stellar masses, metallicities and 13C–pocket efficiencies. Theoretical results are compared with the most recent observations in PNe, finding a general good agreement.

Proton captures on Mg isotopes play an important role in the Mg-Al cycle active in stellar H-burning regions. In particular, low-energy nuclear resonances in the $^{25}$Mg(p,$\gamma$)$^{26}$Al reaction affect the production of radioactive $^{26}$Al$^{gs}$ as well as the resulting Mg/Al abundance ratio. Reliable estimations of these quantities require precise measurements of the strengths of low-energy resonances. Based on a new experimental study performed at LUNA, we provide revised rates of the $^{25}$Mg(p,$\gamma$)$^{26}$Al$^{gs}$ and the $^{25}$Mg(p,$\gamma$)$^{26}$Al$^{m}$ reactions with corresponding uncertainties. In the temperature range 50 to 150 MK, the new recommended rate of the $^{26}$Al$^{m}$ production is up to 5 times higher than previously assumed. In addition, at T$=100$ MK, the revised total reaction rate is a factor of 2 higher. Note that this is the range of temperature at which the Mg-Al cycle operates in an H-burning zone. The effects of this revision are discussed. Due to the significantly larger $^{25}$Mg(p,$\gamma$)$^{26}$Al$^{m}$ rate, the estimated production of $^{26}$Al$^{gs}$ in H-burning regions is less efficient than previously obtained. As a result, the new rates should imply a smaller contribution from Wolf-Rayet stars to the galactic $^{26}$Al budget. Similarly, we show that the AGB extra-mixing scenario does not appear able to explain the most extreme values of $^{26}$Al/$^{27}$Al, i.e. $>10^{-2}$, found in some O-rich presolar grains. Finally, the substantial increase of the total reaction rate makes the hypothesis of a self-pollution by massive AGBs a more robust explanation for the Mg-Al anticorrelation observed in Globular-Cluster stars.