$\beta$-decay half-lives of neutron-rich nuclei and matter flow in the $r$-process

TL;DR

This paper presents a new self-consistent QRPA model based on RHFB to systematically calculate $eta$-decay half-lives of neutron-rich nuclei, revealing a faster $r$-matter flow and increased heavy element production in the universe.

Contribution

The study introduces a fully self-consistent RHFB+QRPA model with isospin-dependent pairing, improving predictions of $eta$-decay half-lives for neutron-rich nuclei.

Findings

Predicted faster $r$-matter flow in the $r$-process.

Enhanced abundances of elements with $A extgreater 140$.

Model reproduces available experimental data.

Abstract

The $\beta$-decay half-lives of neutron-rich nuclei with $20 \leqslant Z \leqslant 50$ are systematically investigated using the newly developed fully self-consistent proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation (QRPA), based on the spherical relativistic Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (RHFB) framework. Available data are reproduced by including an isospin-dependent proton-neutron pairing interaction in the isoscalar channel of the RHFB+QRPA model. With the calculated $\beta$-decay half-lives of neutron-rich nuclei a remarkable speeding up of $r$-matter flow is predicted. This leads to enhanced $r$-process abundances of elements with $A \gtrsim 140$, an important result for the understanding of the origin of heavy elements in the universe.