Speaker
Description
The cosmic site of the rapid neutron capture process (r-process) is still
unkown, although recent observational evidence supports compact binary
mergers (CBMs) as the main source for r-process nuclei in our universe.
The very neutron-rich dynamical ejecta in CBMs host a hot r-process where
local (n,g)-(g,n) equilibria are established, leading to robust nuclear com-
positions that primarily depend on the nuclear properties (e.g., masses).
When the local equilibria freeze out and the composition starts decaying to
stability, late-time effects related to fission can alter the abundance pattern
considerably. Finally, radioactive decays on timescales of days to weeks
power an electromagnetic afterglow that could possibly be observed as a
macronova/kilonova.
In this talk, the hot r-process scenario is reviewed on the example of
dynamical CBM ejecta, with a focus on the impact of nuclear masses and
reaction rates on observables.
