An Explosive End to Intermediate-Mass Zero-Metallicity Stars and Early Universe Nucleosynthesis

Abstract

We use the Cambridge stellar evolution code STARS to model the evolution of 5-7 solar mass zero-metallicity stars. With enhanced resolution at the hydrogen and helium burning shell in the AGB phases, we are able to model the entire thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase. The helium luminosities of the thermal pulses are significantly lower than in higher metallicity stars so there is no third dredge-up. The envelope is enriched in nitrogen by hot-bottom burning of carbon that was previously mixed in during second dredge-up. There is no s-process enrichment owing to the lack of third dredge up. The thermal pulses grow weaker as the core mass increases and they eventually cease. From then on the star enters a quiescent burning phase which lasts until carbon ignites at the centre of the star when the CO core mass is 1.36 solar mass. With such a high degeneracy and a core mass so close to the Chandrasekhar mass, we expect these stars to explode as type 1.5 supernovae, very similar to Type Ia supernovae but inside a hydrogen rich envelope.

18 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted for MNRAS

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