EAS Publications Series

The Third European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics
M. Busso, R.G. Pizzone, C. Rolfs, C. Spitaleri and A. Tumino (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 27 (2007) 1-9
DOI: 10.1051/eas:2007140

Stellar Abundance Analyses: Constraints on Nucleosynthesis and Chemical Evolution?

C. Abia

Dpto. Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

(Published online: 27 September 2007)

Abstract
Recent advances in the determination of stellar abundances and their impact on the study of nucleosynthesis and the chemical evolution of galaxies are discussed. It is argued that detailed interpretation of the abundance patterns among chemical elements found at different metallicities still requires solid spectroscopic data. Despite current improvements in abundance analyses, these are not, however, free from systematic errors which can hide the real history of the chemical evolution. Some examples are discussed.