Session D03: Nuclear Physics Constraints from Neutron Star Mergers

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Neutron star mergers are fascinating events that offer the promise to answer a number of fundamental questions about the nature of matter at extreme conditions, and the evolution of stellar objects and the chemical composition of our Galaxy. Nuclear physics is a key ingredient in theories used to interpret multimessenger observations of neutron star mergers. The equation of state of nuclear matter is essential to the structure of neutron stars and dynamics of the merger. The properties of neutron-rich isotopes, far from $\beta$-stability, govern neutron-capture nucleosynthesis processes that take place in the outflow material of the merger. The subsequent radioactive decay of these isotopes powers the kilonova associated with neutron star mergers, and is expected to produce observable footprints for the production of heavy chemical elements. Measurement of these nuclear physics properties is an active area of current research in low-energy nuclear physics. In this presentation I will highlight recent experimental results, and discuss the exiting opportunities for new measurements in a number of next-generation facilities soon to be operational, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB).   

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The temperatures, densities, and neutron fractions in kilonova ejecta are far beyond what we can achieve in a lab on Earth. And while the electromagnetic counterpart (if observed) provides us with important clues as to the composition and properties of the kilonova ejecta, we cannot (yet?) determine detailed abundances of the elements, let alone isotopes, present in the ejecta from the EM signal. This makes nuclear network calculations an essential tool for exploring and understanding the nucleosynthesis in kilonova ejecta. In this talk, I will give a brief overview of rapid neutron-capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis in kilonova ejecta, discuss how nuclear reaction networks work, and present some results of nuclear network calculations in kilonova ejecta.   

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TBD