The r-Process in Black Hole Winds

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of black hole winds as an alternative site for r-process nucleosynthesis, addressing challenges faced by supernova-based scenarios and considering astrophysical events like mergers and hypernovae.

Contribution

It introduces black hole winds as a new astrophysical site for r-process nucleosynthesis, expanding beyond traditional supernova models.

Findings

Black hole winds can produce heavy r-process elements.

This scenario may explain observed abundance patterns.

It links r-process nucleosynthesis to neutron star mergers and hypernovae.

Abstract

All the current r-process scenarios relevant to core-collapse supernovae are facing severe difficulties. In particular, recent core-collapse simulations with neutrino transport show no sign of a neutron-rich wind from the proto-neutron star. In this paper, we discuss nucleosynthesis of the r-process in an alternative astrophysical site, "black hole winds", which are the neutrino-driven outflow from the accretion torus around a black hole. This condition is assumed to be realized in double neutron star mergers, neutron star - black hole mergers, or hypernovae.