Enhanced Heavy-Element Formation in Baryon-Inhomogeneous Big-Bang Models

We show that primordial nucleosynthesis in baryon inhomogeneous big-bang models can lead to significant heavy-element production while still satisfying all the light-element abundance constraints including the low lithium abundance observed in population II stars. The parameters which admit this solution arise naturally from the process of neutrino induced inflation of baryon inhomogeneities prior to the epoch of nucleosynthesis. These solutions entail a small fraction of baryons (\le 2\%) in very high density regions with local baryon-to-photon ratio $\eta^h\approx 10^{-4}$, while most baryons are at a baryon-to-photon ratio which optimizes the agreement with light-element abundances. The model would imply a unique signature of baryon inhomogeneities in the early universe, evidenced by the existence of primordial material containing heavy-element products of proton and alpha- burning reactions with an abundance of $[Z]\sim -6 to -4$.Comment: 19 pages in plain Tex, 5 figures (not included) available by fax or mail upon request, ApJ in press, L

R-Process Nucleosynthesis In Neutrino-Driven Winds From A Typical Neutron Star With M = 1.4 Msun

We study the effects of the outer boundary conditions in neutrino-driven winds on the r-process nucleosynthesis. We perform numerical simulations of hydrodynamics of neutrino-driven winds and nuclear reaction network calculations of the r-process. As an outer boundary condition of hydrodynamic calculations, we set a pressure upon the outermost layer of the wind, which is approaching toward the shock wall. Varying the boundary pressure, we obtain various asymptotic thermal temperature of expanding material in the neutrino-driven winds for resulting nucleosynthesis. We find that the asymptotic temperature slightly lower than those used in the previous studies of the neutrino-driven winds can lead to a successful r-process abundance pattern, which is in a reasonable agreement with the solar system r-process abundance pattern even for the typical proto-neutron star mass Mns ~ 1.4 Msun. A slightly lower asymptotic temperature reduces the charged particle reaction rates and the resulting amount of seed elements and lead to a high neutron-to-seed ratio for successful r-process. This is a new idea which is different from the previous models of neutrino-driven winds from very massive (Mns ~ 2.0 Msun) and compact (Rns ~ 10 km) neutron star to get a short expansion time and a high entropy for a successful r-process abundance pattern. Although such a large mass is sometimes criticized from observational facts on a neutron star mass, we dissolve this criticism by reconsidering the boundary condition of the wind. We also explore the relation between the boundary condition and neutron star mass, which is related to the progenitor mass, for successful r-process.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Constraints on the Evolution of the Primordial Magnetic Field from the Small-Scale Cosmic Microwave Background Angular Anisotropy

Recent observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) have extended the measured power spectrum to higher multipoles $l\gtrsim$1000, and there appears to be possible evidence for excess power on small angular scales. The primordial magnetic field (PMF) can strongly affect the CMB power spectrum and the formation of large scale structure. In this paper, we calculate the CMB temperature anisotropies generated by including a power-law magnetic field at the photon last-scattering surface (PLSS). We then deduce an upper limit on the PMF based on our theoretical analysis of the power excess on small angular scales. We have taken into account several important effects such as the modified matter sound speed in the presence of a magnetic field. An upper limit to the field strength of $|B_\lambda|\lesssim$ 4.7 nG at the present scale of 1 Mpc is deduced. This is obtained by comparing the calculated theoretical result including the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect with recent observed data on the small-scale CMB anisotropies from the $Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe$ (WMAP), the Cosmic Background Imager (CBI), and the Arcminute Cosmology Bolometer Array Receiver (ACBAR). We discuss several possible mechanisms for the generation and evolution of the PMF.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, accepted to ApJ April 10, 200

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