Phosphorus-rich stars with unusual abundances are challenging
  theoretical predictions
  Almost all chemical elements have been made by nucleosynthetic reactions in
various kind of stars and have been accumulated along our cosmic history. Among
those elements, the origin of phosphorus is of extreme interest because it is
known to be essential for life such as we know on Earth. However, current
models of (Galactic) chemical evolution under-predict the phosphorus we observe
in our Solar System. Here we report the discovery of 15 phosphorus-rich stars
with unusual overabundances of O, Mg, Si, Al, and Ce. Phosphorus-rich stars
likely inherit their peculiar chemistry from another nearby stellar source but
their intriguing chemical abundance pattern challenge the present stellar
nucleosynthesis theoretical predictions. Specific effects such as rotation or
advanced nucleosynthesis in convective-reactive regions in massive stars
represent the most promising alternatives to explain the existence of
phosphorus-rich stars. The phosphorus-rich stars progenitors may significantly
contribute to the phosphorus present on Earth today.
