H ingestion into He-burning convection zones in super-AGB stellar models as a potential site for intermediate neutron-density nucleosynthesis

TL;DR

This study explores how hydrogen ingestion into helium-burning zones in super-AGB stars can lead to intermediate neutron-density nucleosynthesis, revealing new potential sites for i-process element formation and transient stellar outbursts.

Contribution

It demonstrates that convective boundary mixing causes hydrogen ingestion in super-AGB stars, potentially enabling the i-process and explaining certain stellar abundance patterns.

Findings

Hydrogen ingestion occurs during thermal pulses with convective boundary mixing.

H-burning luminosities can exceed 10^9 L_sun during ingestion events.

Simulated outbursts show characteristic light curves and transient properties.

Abstract

We investigate the evolution of super-AGB thermal pulse (TP) stars for a range of metallicities (Z) and explore the effect of convective boundary mixing (CBM). With decreasing metallicity and evolution along the TP phase, the He-shell flash and the third dredge-up (TDU) occur closer together in time. After some time (depending upon the CBM parameterisation), efficient TDU begins while the pulse-driven convection zone (PDCZ) is still present, causing a convective exchange of material between the PDCZ and the convective envelope. This results in the ingestion of protons into the convective He-burning pulse. Even small amounts of CBM encourage the interaction of the convection zones leading to transport of protons from the convective envelope into the He layer. H-burning luminosities exceed $10^9$ (in some cases $10^{10}$) $\mathrm{L}_\odot$. We also calculate models of dredge-out in the most massive super-AGB stars and show that the dredge-out phenomenon is another likely site of convective-reactive H-$^{12}$C combustion. We discuss the substantial uncertainties of stellar evolution models under these conditions. Nevertheless, the simulations suggest that in the convective-reactive H-combustion regime of H ingestion the star may encounter conditions for the intermediate neutron capture process (i process). We speculate that some CEMP-s/r stars could originate in i-process conditions in the H-ingestion phases of low-Z SAGB stars. This scenario would however suggest a very low electron-capture supernova rate from super-AGB stars. We also simulate potential outbursts triggered by such H-ingestion events, present their light curves and briefly discuss their transient properties.