2020/06/12 by N. C. Sterling, Sterling, N. C.
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA) #FOS: Physical sciences #Nuclear physics research studies #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR) #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2006.07414
openalex publication_date 2020/06/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Nebular spectroscopy is a valuable tool for assessing the production of heavy elements by slow neutron(n)-capture nucleosynthesis (the s-process). Several transitions of n-capture elements have been identified in planetary nebulae (PNe) in the last few years, with the aid of sensitive high-resolution near-infrared spectrometers. Combined with optical spectroscopy, the newly discovered near-infrared lines enable more accurate abundance determinations than previously possible, and provide access to elements that had not previously been studied in PNe or their progenitors. Neutron-capture elements have also been detected in PNe in the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy and in the Magellanic Clouds. In this brief review, I discuss developments in observational studies of s-process enrichments in PNe, with an emphasis on the last five years, and note some open questions and preliminary trends.