R-process nucleosynthesis of low-mass neutron star explosions*

We show that a low-mass neutron star undergoes delayed explosion after mass removal from its surface.  We couple the Newtonian hydrodynamics to a nuclear reaction network of ∼ 4500 isotopes to study the nucleosynthesis and neutrino emission during the explosion. An electron anti-neutrino burst with a peak luminosity of ∼ 3 × 10⁵⁰ erg s⁻¹ is emitted while the ejecta is heated to ∼ 10⁹ 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 low-mass neutron star explosions could be an important source of solar chemical elements.