The STAR BES-II and Forward Rapidity Physics and Upgrades

The second phase of the Beam Energy Scan at RHIC, BES-II, is scheduled to start in 2019 and will explore the high baryon density region of the QCD phase diagram with precision measurements. The detector upgrades will enhance some of the key measurements by extending STAR's kinematic reach, like the kurtosis of net-protons distribution which could pinpoint the position of a critical point. The upgrades currently under way comprise: the replacement of the inner TPC sectors, the Event Plane Detector (EPD) and the end-cap TOF. Building on these upgrades STAR is planning to further enhance its detector capabilities by installing a Forward Calorimeter System (FCS) integrating an electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeter and a Forward Tracking System (FTS) combining 3 Silicon mini-strip disks and 4 Small-Strip Thin Gap Chamber (sTGC) wheels. The forward upgrades are motivated by studying the initial state of nucleons and nuclei and the exploration of cold QCD physics in the very high and low x regions. This contribution will highlight these upgrades and some of the physics opportunities that they allow.