Fission fragment distributions and their impact on the <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mi>r</mml:mi></mml:math>-process nucleosynthesis in neutron star mergers

Abstract

Neutron star merger ejecta are currently the most viable astrophysical site for $r$-process nucleosynthesis. Fission plays a fundamental role. The manuscript presents an updated scission-point model for fission fragment distributions, which improves agreement with experimental fission yields. Two astrophysical scenarios, based on alternative weak-interaction hypotheses, are employed to reanalyze the role of fission. Regions of the nuclear chart where fission is important are identified, and the impact of fission yields on the final $r$-process abundance distribution is elaborated.

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