Californium-254 and Kilonova Light Curves
Abstract
Neutron star mergers o er unique conditions for the creation of the heavy elements and additionally provide a testbed for our understanding of this synthesis known as the r-process. We have performed dynamical nucleosynthesis calculations and identi ed a single isotope, 254Cf, which has a particularly high impact on the brightness of electromagnetic transients associated with mergers on the order of 15 to 250 days. This is due to the anomalously long half-life of this isotope and the e ciency of ssion thermalization compared to other nuclear channels. We estimate the ssion fragment yield of this nucleus and outline the astrophysical conditions under which 254Cf has the greatest impact to the light curve. Future observations in the middle-IR which are bright during this regime could indicate the production of actinide nucleosynthesis.
- Authors:
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[1];
[2];
[3];
[4];
[3];
[5];
[5];
[6];
[5];
[2];
[2];
[7];
[5];
[8];
[5];
[9]
- Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
- Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States); Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), East Lansing, MI (United States). Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), East Lansing, MI (United States). Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE)
- Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), East Lansing, MI (United States). Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE); Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States). Dept. of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences; Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), East Lansing, MI (United States). Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE)
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Joint Inst. for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA), East Lansing, MI (United States). Center for the Evolution of the Elements (JINA-CEE); Southern Utah Univ., Cedar City, UT (United States)
- Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States). Columbia Astrophysics Lab.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1484657
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-18-25559
Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8213
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- The Astrophysical Journal. Letters (Online)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: The Astrophysical Journal. Letters (Online); Journal Volume: 863; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8213
- Publisher:
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; neutron stars; mergers; nucleosynthesis; californium; actinides
Citation Formats
Zhu, Y., Wollaeger, R. T., Vassh, N., Surman, R., Sprouse, T. M., Mumpower, M. R., Möller, P., McLaughlin, G. C., Korobkin, O., Kawano, T., Jaffke, P. J., Holmbeck, E. M., Fryer, C. L., Even, W. P., Couture, A. J., and Barnes, J. Californium-254 and Kilonova Light Curves. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aad5de.
Zhu, Y., Wollaeger, R. T., Vassh, N., Surman, R., Sprouse, T. M., Mumpower, M. R., Möller, P., McLaughlin, G. C., Korobkin, O., Kawano, T., Jaffke, P. J., Holmbeck, E. M., Fryer, C. L., Even, W. P., Couture, A. J., & Barnes, J. Californium-254 and Kilonova Light Curves. United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aad5de
Zhu, Y., Wollaeger, R. T., Vassh, N., Surman, R., Sprouse, T. M., Mumpower, M. R., Möller, P., McLaughlin, G. C., Korobkin, O., Kawano, T., Jaffke, P. J., Holmbeck, E. M., Fryer, C. L., Even, W. P., Couture, A. J., and Barnes, J. Tue .
"Californium-254 and Kilonova Light Curves". United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aad5de. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1484657.
@article{osti_1484657,
title = {Californium-254 and Kilonova Light Curves},
author = {Zhu, Y. and Wollaeger, R. T. and Vassh, N. and Surman, R. and Sprouse, T. M. and Mumpower, M. R. and Möller, P. and McLaughlin, G. C. and Korobkin, O. and Kawano, T. and Jaffke, P. J. and Holmbeck, E. M. and Fryer, C. L. and Even, W. P. and Couture, A. J. and Barnes, J.},
abstractNote = {Neutron star mergers o er unique conditions for the creation of the heavy elements and additionally provide a testbed for our understanding of this synthesis known as the r-process. We have performed dynamical nucleosynthesis calculations and identi ed a single isotope, 254Cf, which has a particularly high impact on the brightness of electromagnetic transients associated with mergers on the order of 15 to 250 days. This is due to the anomalously long half-life of this isotope and the e ciency of ssion thermalization compared to other nuclear channels. We estimate the ssion fragment yield of this nucleus and outline the astrophysical conditions under which 254Cf has the greatest impact to the light curve. Future observations in the middle-IR which are bright during this regime could indicate the production of actinide nucleosynthesis.},
doi = {10.3847/2041-8213/aad5de},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal. Letters (Online)},
number = 2,
volume = 863,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Tue Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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