Session BE: Nuclear Astrophysics I
2:00 PM–4:00 PM, Thursday, October 11, 2007
Newport News Marriott at City Center Room: Grand Salon V
Chair: Richard Cyburt, NSCL Michigan State University
Abstract ID: BAPS.2007.DNP.BE.2
Abstract: BE.00002 : Neutrinos, Fission Cycling, and the r-process
2:12 PM–2:24 PM
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Abstract 
Authors:
Joshua Beun
(North Carolina State University)
Gail McLaughlin
(North Carolina State University)
Rebecca Surman
(Union College)
Raph Hix
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
Recent halo star abundance observations exhibit the presence of a consistent $r$-process pattern between the second, $A \approx 130$, and third, $A \approx 195$, peaks. This universal pattern is known as the ``main'' $r$-process. Using the neutrino-driven wind of the core-collapse supernova as our guide, we explore fission cycling and steady-$\beta$ flow as the driving mechanisms behind production of this ``main'' $r$-process. These mechanisms robustly produce the general structure of the ``main'' $r$-process. In the core-collapse supernova environment, neutrinos play an important role as they facilitate the explosion mechanism and influence the elemental composition of the outflow. As conditions must be more neutron-rich than current wind models predict for both fission cycling and steady-$\beta$ flow to occur, we examine wind environments under a variety of neutrino luminosities and effective temperatures. We find a reduction in the electron neutrino luminosity is necessary to allow for both fission cycling and steady-$\beta$ flow. This reduction may result from active-sterile neutrino oscillations or other new physics.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2007.DNP.BE.2