The origin of the elements and other implications of gravitational wave detection for nuclear physics

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational wave detection from neutron star mergers informs our understanding of the origin of heavy elements, nuclear physics, and neutron star structure, highlighting recent links between nuclear mass spectrometry and gravitational waves.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of how gravitational wave observations and nuclear physics data jointly enhance knowledge of element formation and neutron star properties.

Findings

Gravitational waves reveal details of neutron star mergers.

Nuclear mass spectrometry informs neutron star equation of state.

Link between nuclear physics and gravitational wave signals established.

Abstract

The neutron-star collision revealed by the event GW170817 gave us a first glimpse of a possible birthplace of most of our heavy elements. The multi-messenger nature of this historical event combined gravitational waves, a gamma-ray burst and optical astronomy of a ``kilonova'', bringing the first observations of rapid neutron capture (r process) nucleosynthesis after 60 years of speculation. Modeling the r process requires a prodigious amount of nuclear-physics ingredients: practically all the quantum state and interaction properties of virtually all neutron-rich nuclides, many of which may never be produced in the laboratory! Another essential contribution of nuclear physics to neutron stars (and their eventual coalescence) is the equation of state (EoS) that defines their structure and composition. The EoS, combined with the knowledge of nuclear binding energies, determines the elemental profile of the outer crust of a neutron star and the relationship between its radius and mass. In addition, the EoS determines the form of the gravitational wave signal. This article combines a tutorial presentation and bibliography with recent results that link nuclear mass spectrometry to gravitational waves via neutron stars.