Abstract Details

Name: Vishwangi Shah
Affiliation: Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani - Hyderabad Campus
Conference ID: ASI2020_529
Title : A study of nucleosynthesis of heavy elements in neutron star mergers using SkyNet nuclear reaction library
Authors and Co-Authors : Vishwangi Shah, Sanika Khadkikar, Somnath Mukhopadhyay, Sarmistha Banik
Abstract Type : Poster
Abstract Category : Stars, ISM and Galaxy
Abstract : GW170807, the first direct detection of gravitational waves from two merging neutron stars was followed over several days by optical-wavelength kilonova emissions. Decaying neutron-rich nuclei in extreme conditions such as high temperatures, densities, and strongly quantizing magnetic fields during the merging of binary neutron stars are believed to create the glowing kilonova and its observation in GW170817 supports the hypothesis that all elements heavier than iron, have their origin in compact objects like neutron stars. The purpose of our research is to find the abundances of elements synthesized in such explosive conditions using a nuclear reaction library known as SkyNet. The equilibrium nuclei in the neutron star inner crust are determined by the thermodynamic method in the presence of finite temperature and magnetic field. These nuclei are taken as inputs in the nuclear reaction network (SkyNet) along with the crustal density, temperature and proton fraction in order to compute the final abundances of heavy elements synthesized in the kilonova ejecta.