Current Status of r-Process Nucleosynthesis. (arXiv:1906.05002v1 [astro-ph.HE])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kajino_T/0/1/0/all/0/1">T. Kajino</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Aoki_W/0/1/0/all/0/1">W. Aoki</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Balantekin_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. B. Balantekin</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Diehl_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">R. Diehl</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Famiano_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">M. A. Famiano</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Mathews_G/0/1/0/all/0/1">G. J. Mathews</a>
The rapid neutron capture process (r process) is believed to be responsible
for about half of the production of the elements heavier than iron and
contributes to abundances of some lighter nuclides as well. A universal pattern
of r-process element abundances is observed in some metal-poor stars of the
Galactic halo. This suggests that a well-regulated combination of astrophysical
conditions and nuclear physics conspires to produce such a universal abundance
pattern. The search for the astrophysical site for r-process nucleosynthesis
has stimulated interdisciplinary research for more than six decades. There is
currently much enthusiasm surrounding evidence for r-process nucleosynthesis in
binary neutron star mergers in the multi-wavelength follow-up observations of
kilonova/gravitational-wave GRB170807A/GW170817. Nevertheless, there remain
questions as to the contribution over the history of the Galaxy to the current
solar-system r-process abundances from other sites such as neutrino-driven
winds or magnetohydrodynamical ejection of material from core-collapse
supernovae. In this review we highlight some current issues surrounding the
nuclear physics input, astronomical observations, galactic chemical evolution,
and theoretical simulations of r-process astrophysical environments with the
goal of outlining a path toward resolving the remaining mysteries of the r
process.
The rapid neutron capture process (r process) is believed to be responsible
for about half of the production of the elements heavier than iron and
contributes to abundances of some lighter nuclides as well. A universal pattern
of r-process element abundances is observed in some metal-poor stars of the
Galactic halo. This suggests that a well-regulated combination of astrophysical
conditions and nuclear physics conspires to produce such a universal abundance
pattern. The search for the astrophysical site for r-process nucleosynthesis
has stimulated interdisciplinary research for more than six decades. There is
currently much enthusiasm surrounding evidence for r-process nucleosynthesis in
binary neutron star mergers in the multi-wavelength follow-up observations of
kilonova/gravitational-wave GRB170807A/GW170817. Nevertheless, there remain
questions as to the contribution over the history of the Galaxy to the current
solar-system r-process abundances from other sites such as neutrino-driven
winds or magnetohydrodynamical ejection of material from core-collapse
supernovae. In this review we highlight some current issues surrounding the
nuclear physics input, astronomical observations, galactic chemical evolution,
and theoretical simulations of r-process astrophysical environments with the
goal of outlining a path toward resolving the remaining mysteries of the r
process.
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