The evolving optical and infrared kilonova was consistent with radioactive heating of neutron-rich merger ejecta. Rapid neutron capture, the r-process, can synthesize nuclei heavier than iron; decay of the newly formed unstable nuclei powers the transient. Its redward evolution and large inferred opacity supported production of heavy-element-rich ejecta. Thus mergers are a demonstrated important site for heavy-element production, while the fractions of individual elements and their total cosmic contribution remain model-dependent. The transient was not a direct identification of every very heavy element.[ref]
Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger by LIGO Scientific Collaboration and others. Kilonova interpretation and conclusions: optical/infrared evolution and radioactive r-process heating
Articles by others on the same topic
There are currently no matching articles.