Steward Observatory NOAO Joint Colloquium Series- Outstanding Questions in the Origin of the Elements

Abstract: That stars make elements heavier than helium has long been established. However, within this broad framework, there are many details that are uncertain, including the contributions of Type Ia SNe to elements such as silicon and calcium, metallicity dependence of yields, and additional sources of heavy elements besides neutron-star mergers and asymptotic giant branch stars. The answers to these questions are important for understanding stellar evolution and stellar death and for using chemical evolution as a tool for understanding galaxy evolution. I will discuss recent developments in the origin of elements, including observations in metal-poor stars and chemical cartography with the APOGEE survey in the disk and bulge.