Chemical Mixing in the Galaxy

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

AST 0098594 Shields The chemical elements are the building blocks of all matter. Hydrogen and helium were formed in the Big Bang, but heavier elements were produced by stars during the evolution of our galaxy and others. This enrichment is essential for the formation of planets and the development of life. The process of chemical enrichment by dying stars has a random character, and fluctuations in the abundance of chemical elements occur from one place to the next. Observations of abundance differences among stars and interstellar gas clouds are becoming available, but there has been relatively little theoretical effort to interpret them. This work will examine the evidence for abundance fluctuations in galaxies and the early universe and their interpretation in terms of nuclear fusion in stars, mixing processes in the interstellar gas, and the motions of stars through the Milky Way. Funding for this project was provided by the NSF program for Extragalactic Astronomy & Cosmology (AST/EXC). ***