r-Process Calculations and Galactic Chemical Evolution

Abstract

While the origin of r-process nuclei remains a long-standing mystery, recent spectroscopic studies of extremely metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo strongly suggest that it is associated with core-collapse supernovae. In this article, an overview of the recent theoretical studies of the r-process is presented with a special emphasis on the astrophysical scenarios related to core-collapse supernovae. We also review a recent progress of the Galactic chemical evolution studies as well as of the spectroscopic studies of extremely metal-poor halo stars, which provide us important clues to better understanding of the astrophysical r-process site.

31 pages, 17figures, Nuclear Physics A (Special Issue on Nuclear Astrophysics / eds. K. Langanke, F.-K. Thielemann, & M. Wiescher), in press