arXiv · 2212.04507
Actinide-boosting r Process in Black Hole-Neutron Star Merger Ejecta
Abstract
We examine nucleosynthesis in the ejecta of black hole-neutron star mergers based on the results of long-term neutrino-radiation-magnetohydrodynamics simulations for the first time. We find that the combination of dynamical and post-merger ejecta reproduces a solar-like r-process pattern. Moreover, the enhancement level of actinides is highly sensitive to the distribution of both electron fraction and the velocity of the dynamical ejecta. Our result implies that the mean electron fraction of dynamical ejecta should be >~ 0.05 in order to reconcile the nucleosynthetic abundances with those in r-process-enhanced, actinide-boost stars. Since the tidal ejecta preserve the neutron-richness in the inner crust of pre-merging neutron stars, this result provides an important constraint for nuclear equations of state, if black hole-neutron star mergers are responsible for actinide-boost stars.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Shinya Wanajo, Sho Fujibayashi, Kota Hayashi, Kenta Kiuchi, Yuichiro Sekiguchi, Masaru Shibata. 2022-12-08. Actinide-boosting r Process in Black Hole-Neutron Star Merger Ejecta. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.133.241201
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.