Evolution and final fate of solar metallicity stars in the mass range 7-15 Msun. I. The transition from AGB to SAGB stars, Electron Capture and Core Collapse Supernovae progenitors

TL;DR

This study investigates the evolutionary paths and final fates of solar metallicity stars with masses between 7 and 15 solar masses, revealing their potential to become AGB, SAGB, or supernova progenitors.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the evolutionary outcomes of stars in this mass range, highlighting the transition from AGB to SAGB stars and identifying supernova progenitors.

Findings

Stars at 7.00 Msun develop degenerate CO cores and become AGB stars.

Stars with initial mass >= 9.22 Msun end as core collapse supernovae.

Stars between 7.50 and 9.20 Msun develop degenerate ONeMg cores and evolve through the SAGB phase.

Abstract

According to a standard initial mass function, stars in the range 7-12 Msun constitute ~50% (by number) of the stars more massive than ~7 Msun, but, in spite of this, their evolutionary properties, and in particular their final fate, are still scarcely studied. In this paper we present a detailed study of the evolutionary properties of solar metallicity, non rotating stars in the range 7-15 Msun, from the pre main sequence phase up to the presupernova stage or up to an advanced stage of the thermally pulsing phase, depending on the initial mass. We find that (1) the 7.00 Msun develops a degenerate CO core and evolves as a classical AGB star in the sense that it does not ignite the C burning reactions; (2) stars with the initial mass M >= 9.22 Msun end their life as core collapse supernovae; (3) stars in the range 7.50 <= M/Msun <= 9.20 develop a degenerate ONeMg core and evolve through the thermally pulsing SAGB phase; 4) stars in the mass range 7.50 <= M/Msun <= 8.00 end their life as hybrid CO/ONeMg- or ONeMg- WD; (5) stars with the initial mass in the range 8.50 <= M/Msun <= 9.20 may potentially explode as electron capture supernovae.