Rapidly-Accreting White Dwarfs and the i-Process in a Galactic Chemical Evolution Context

A rapidly-accreting white dwarf (RAWD) is a white dwarf that accretes matter from a companion star (illustrated), rapidly enough to steadily burn on its surface the accreted hydrogen into helium. Once a RAWD reaches a critical mass, the accumulated shell of helium undergoes a thermal flash that triggers convection. 

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