Title: Metallicity-Dependent Nucleosynthesis and Its Impact on the Chemical Evolution of Nuclear Star Clusters
Speaker: Giulia Cinquegrana (Swinburne University)
Abstract:
Rapid star formation in dense regions of the universe, such as galactic nuclei, creates pockets of interstellar gas that become highly enriched in metals. Stars born from this material span a wide range of metallicities, and their evolutionary pathways and nucleosynthetic outputs are strongly shaped by these initial conditions. In this talk, I present new stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis models for Type II supernova progenitors and low-mass asymptotic giant branch stars across a broad metallicity range. I show how metallicity modifies their internal evolution and burning pathways, producing characteristic changes in the yields of α-elements, odd-Z species, iron-peak nuclei, and neutron-capture elements. I then integrate these yields into a one-zone model of the Milky Way’s nuclear star cluster to explore what happens after stars return their material, i.e., how their ejecta are mixed, diluted, and reshaped by the surrounding environment. Our results demonstrate the influence of metallicity on the chemical contributions of both low mass and massive stars and provide a framework for using their yields to interpret the historical enrichment of central stellar ecosystems.