Neutrino-nucleus interaction and supernova r-process nucleosynthesis

We discuss various neutrino-nucleus interactions in connection with the supernova r-process nucleosynthesis, which possibly occurs in the neutrino-driven wind of a young neutron star. These interactions include absorptions of electron neutrinos and antineutrinos on free nucleons, electron-neutrino captures on neutron-rich nuclei, and neutral-current interactions of heavy-flavor neutrinos with alpha particles and neutron-rich nuclei. We describe how these interactions can affect the r-process nucleosynthesis and discuss the implications of their effects for the physical conditions leading to a successful supernova r-process. We conclude that a low electron fraction and/or a short dynamic time scale may be required to give the sufficient neutron-to-seed ratio for an r-process in the neutrino-driven wind. In the case of a short dynamic time scale, the wind has to be contained during the r-process. Possible mechanisms which can give a low electron fraction or contain the wind are discussed.Comment: 8 pages, uses espcrc1.sty (included), Invited talk at the 4th International Conference on Nuclei in the Cosmos, Notre Dame (1996

Supernova Neutrino-Effects on R-Process Nucleosynthesis in Black Hole Formation

Stars with a wide range of masses provide a variety of production sites for intermediate-to-heavy mass elements. Very massive stars with mass $\geq 8 M_{\odot}$ culminate their evolution by supernova explosions which are presumed to be the most viable candidate astrophysical sites of r-process nucleosynthesis. If the models for the supernova r-process are correct, then nucleosynthesis results could also pose a significant constraint on the remnant of supernova explosions, $i.e.$ neutron star or black hole. In the case of very massive core collapse, a remnant stellar black hole is thought to be formed. Intense neutrino flux from the neutronized core and the neutrino sphere might suddenly cease during the Kelvin-Helmholtz cooling phase because of the black hole formation. It is interesting to explore observable consequences of such a neutrino flux truncation. Arguments have recently been given in the literature that even the neutrino mass may be determined from the time delay of deformed neutrino energy spectrum after the cease of neutrino ejection (neutrino cutoff effect). Here, we study the expected theoretical response of the r-process nucleosynthesis to the neutrino cutoff effect in order to look for another independent signature of this phenomenon. We found a sensitive response of the r-process yield if the neutrino cutoff occurs after the critical time when the expanding materials in the neutrino-driven wind drop out of the Nuclear Statistical Equilibrium (NSE). The r-process nucleosynthesis yields change maximally if the cutoff occurs during the r-process. Using this result, connected with future detection of the time-variation of SN neutrino spectrum, we are able to identify when the black hole formation occurs in the course of SN collapse.Comment: ApJ (2005) in press, 24pages, 8figure

Nucleosynthesis in O-Ne-Mg Supernovae

We have studied detailed nucleosynthesis in the shocked surface layers of an Oxygen-Neon-Magnesium core collapse supernova with an eye to determining if the conditions are suitable for r process nucleosynthesis. We find no such conditions in an unmodified model, but do find overproduction of N=50 nuclei (previously seen in early neutron-rich neutrino winds) in amounts that, if ejected, would pose serious problems for galactic chemical evolution.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, to be published in Astrophysical Journal Letter

The r-Process in Neutrino-Driven Winds from Nascent, "Compact" Neutron Stars of Core-Collapse Supernovae

We present calculations of r-process nucleosynthesis in neutrino-driven winds from the nascent neutron stars of core-collapse supernovae. A full dynamical reaction network for both the alpha-rich freezeout and the subsequent r-process is employed. The physical properties of the neutrino-heated ejecta are deduced from a general relativistic model in which spherical symmetry and steady flow are assumed. Our results suggest that proto-neutron stars with a large compaction ratio provide the most robust physical conditions for the r-process. The third peak of the r-process is well reproduced in the winds from these ``compact'' proto-neutron stars even for a moderate entropy, \sim 100-200 N_A k, and a neutrino luminosity as high as \sim 10^{52} ergs s^{-1}. This is due to the short dynamical timescale of material in the wind. As a result, the overproduction of nuclei with A \lesssim 120 is diminished (although some overproduction of nuclei with A \approx 90 is still evident). The abundances of the r-process elements per event is significantly higher than in previous studies. The total-integrated nucleosynthesis yields are in good agreement with the solar r-process abundance pattern. Our results have confirmed that the neutrino-driven wind scenario is still a promising site in which to form the solar r-process abundances. However, our best results seem to imply both a rather soft neutron-star equation of state and a massive proto-neutron star which is difficult to achieve with standard core-collapse models. We propose that the most favorable conditions perhaps require that a massive supernova progenitor forms a massive proto-neutron star by accretion after a failed initial neutrino burst.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Diverse Supernova Sources for the r-Process

(Abridged) It is shown that a semi-quantitative agreement with the gross solar r-process abundance pattern near and above mass number A=130 can be obtained by a superposition of two distinctive kinds of supernova r-process events. These correspond to a low frequency case L and a high frequency case H, which takes into account the low abundance of I129 and the high abundance of Hf182 in the early solar nebula. The lifetime of Hf182 associates the events in case H with the most common Type II supernovae. These events would be mainly responsible for the r-process nuclei near and above A=195. They would also make a significant amount of the nuclei between A=130 and 195, including Hf182, but very little I129. In order to match the solar r-process abundance pattern and to satisfy the I129 and Hf182 constraints, the events in case L, which would make the r-process nuclei near A=130 and the bulk of those between A=130 and 195, must occur 10 times less frequently but eject 10--20 times more r-process material in each event. We speculate that the usual neutron star remnants, and hence prolonged ejection of r-process material, are associated with the events in case L, whereas the more frequently occurring events in case H have ejection of other r-process material terminated by black hole formation during the neutrino cooling phase of the protoneutron star.Comment: 23 pages, AAS LATEX, 8 Postscript figure

Relativistic Jets from Collapsars

We have studied the relativistic beamed outflow proposed to occur in the collapsar model of gamma-ray bursts. A jet forms as a consequence of an assumed energy deposition of $\sim 10^{50}- 10^{51}$ erg/s within a $30^{\circ}$ cone around the rotation axis of the progenitor star. The generated jet flow is strongly beamed (\la few degrees) and reaches the surface of the stellar progenitor (r $\approx 3 10^{10}$cm) intact. At break-out the maximum Lorentz factor of the jet flow is about 33. Simulations have been performed with the GENESIS multi-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic code.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the conference "Godunov methods: theory and applications", Oxford, October 199

General relativistic effects on neutrino-driven wind from young, hot neutron star and the r-process nucleosynthesis

Neutrino-driven wind from young hot neutron star, which is formed by supernova explosion, is the most promising candidate site for r-process nucleosynthesis. We study general relativistic effects on this wind in Schwarzschild geometry in order to look for suitable conditions for a successful r-process nucleosynthesis. It is quantitatively discussed that the general relativistic effects play a significant role in increasing entropy and decreasing dynamic time scale of the neutrino-driven wind. Exploring wide parameter region which determines the expansion dynamics of the wind, we find interesting physical conditions which lead to successful r-process nucleosynthesis. The conditions which we found realize in the neutrino-driven wind with very short dynamic time scale $\tau_{\rm dyn} \sim 6$ ms and relatively low entropy $S \sim 140$. We carry out the $\alpha$-process and r-process nucleosynthesis calculation on these conditions by the use of our single network code including over 3000 isotopes, and confirm quantitatively that the second and third r-process abundance peaks are produced in the neutrino-driven wind.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

General Relativistic, Neutrino-Assisted MHD winds - Theory and Application to GRBs. I. Schwarzschild Geometry

(short version) - A model for GRMHD disk outflows with neutrino-driven mass ejection is developed,and employed to calculate the structure of the outflow in the sub-slow magnetosonic region and the mass loading of the outflow, under conditions anticipated in the central engines of gamma-ray bursts. The dependence of the mass flux on the conditions in the disk, on magnetic field geometry, and on other factors is carefully examined for a range of neutrino luminosities expected in hyperaccreting black holes. The fraction of neutrino luminosity that is being converted to kinetic energy flux is shown to be a sensitive function of the effective neutrino temperature at the flow injection point, and the shape of magnetic field lines in the sub-slow region, but is practically independent of the strength of poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields. We conclude that magnetic launching of ultra-relativistic polar outflows from the innermost parts of the disk is in principle possible provided the neutrino luminosity is sufficiently low, L_\nu\simlt10^{52} erg s$^{-1}$ or so. The conditions found to be optimal for the launching of an ultra-relativistic jet are also the conditions favorable for large neutron-to-proton ratio in the disk.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, ApJ in press. Post refereed version, more discussion plus additional figure adde

Integrated Nucleosynthesis in Neutrino Driven Winds

Although they are but a small fraction of the mass ejected in core-collapse supernovae, neutrino-driven winds (NDWs) from nascent proto-neutron stars (PNSs) have the potential to contribute significantly to supernova nucleosynthesis. In previous works, the NDW has been implicated as a possible source of r-process and light p-process isotopes. In this paper we present time-dependent hydrodynamic calculations of nucleosynthesis in the NDW which include accurate weak interaction physics coupled to a full nuclear reaction network. Using two published models of PNS neutrino luminosities, we predict the contribution of the NDW to the integrated nucleosynthetic yield of the entire supernova. For the neutrino luminosity histories considered, no true r-process occurs in the most basic scenario. The wind driven from an older $1.4 M_\odot$ model for a PNS is moderately neutron-rich at late times however, and produces $^{87}$Rb, $^{88}$Sr, $^{89}$Y, and $^{90}$Zr in near solar proportions relative to oxygen. The wind from a more recently studied $1.27 M_\odot$ PNS is proton-rich throughout its entire evolution and does not contribute significantly to the abundance of any element. It thus seems very unlikely that the simplest model of the NDW can produce the r-process. At most, it contributes to the production of the N = 50 closed shell elements and some light p-nuclei. In doing so, it may have left a distinctive signature on the abundances in metal poor stars, but the results are sensitive to both uncertain models for the explosion and the masses of the neutron stars involved.Comment: 18 Pages, 14 Figures, Astrophysical Journal (Submitted 4/16/10