R-process Nucleosynthesis of Subminimal Neutron Star Explosions

Abstract

We show that a minimum-mass neutron star undergoes delayed explosion after mass removal from its surface. We couple the Newtonian hydrodynamics to a nuclear reaction network of $\sim 4500$ isotopes to study the nucleosynthesis and neutrino emission during the explosion. An electron antineutrino burst with a peak luminosity of $\sim 3\times 10^{50}$ erg s${}^{-1}$ is emitted while the ejecta is heated to $\sim 10^9$ K. A robust $r$-process nucleosynthesis is realized in the ejecta. Lanthanides and heavy elements near the second and third $r$-process peaks are synthesized as end products of nucleosynthesis, suggesting that subminimal neutron star explosions could be an important source of solar chemical elements.

14 pages, 18 figures, published version

References in corpus (11)

• Gravitational Waves and Gamma-rays from a Binary Neutron Star Merger: GW170817 and GRB 170817A
• An Ordinary Short Gamma-Ray Burst with Extraordinary Implications: Fermi-GBM Detection of GRB 170817A
• INTEGRAL Detection of the First Prompt Gamma-Ray Signal Coincident with the Gravitational Wave Event GW170817
• The Emergence of a Lanthanide-Rich Kilonova Following the Merger of Two Neutron Stars
• Current Status of r-Process Nucleosynthesis
• On r-process nucleosynthesis from matter ejected in binary neutron starmergers
• A New Open-Source Nuclear Equation of State Framework based on the Liquid-Drop Model with Skyrme Interaction
• Spitzer Mid-Infrared Detections of Neutron Star Merger GW170817 Suggests Synthesis of the Heaviest Elements
• Asymmetric mass ratios for bright double neutron-star mergers
• Production of Heavy Elements During the Explosion of a Low-Mass Neutron Star in a Close Binary
• Neutron Star Mergers and Gamma-Ray Bursts: Stripping Model

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Stripping of a neutron star in a close binary system in a pair with a black hole
• The Influence of a Shock on the Nucleosynthesis Developing during the Explosion of a Low-Mass Neutron Star