The sensitivity of r-process nucleosynthesis to the properties of neutron-rich nuclei

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent sensitivity studies identifying key neutron-rich nuclei whose properties significantly impact r-process nucleosynthesis modeling, crucial for understanding heavy element formation in the universe.

Contribution

It highlights the nuclei most influential to r-process simulations, guiding future experimental efforts to improve nuclear data for astrophysical models.

Findings

Identification of critical nuclei affecting r-process outcomes

Highlighting the importance of nuclear mass and decay data

Guidance for experimental nuclear physics efforts

Abstract

About half of the heavy elements in the Solar System were created by rapid neutron capture, or r-process, nucleosynthesis. In the r-process, heavy elements are built up via a sequence of neutron captures and beta decays in which an intense neutron flux pushes material out towards the neutron drip line. The nuclear network simulations used to test potential astrophysical scenarios for the r-process therefore require nuclear physics data (masses, beta decay lifetimes, neutron capture rates, fission probabilities) for thousands of nuclei far from stability. Only a small fraction of this data has been experimentally measured. Here we discuss recent sensitivity studies that aim to determine the nuclei whose properties are most crucial for r-process calculations.