Journal Article

GSI-2026-00338

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Modelling the emission lines from r-process elements in supernova nebulae

Ricigliano, G. (Corresponding author) ; Hotokezaka, K. ; Arcones Segovia, A.GSI*

2025
Oxford Univ. Press Oxford

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1577  doi:10.15120/GSI-2026-00338

Abstract: The origin of heavy r-process elements in the Universe is still a matter of great debate, with a confirmed scenario being neutron star (NS) mergers. Additional relevant sites could be specific classes of events, such as gamma-ray burst (GRB) supernova, short-plural form = SNe, long-plural form = supernovae (SNs), where a central engine could push neutron-rich material outwards, contributing to the ejecta of the massive exploding star. Here, we investigate our ability to infer the production of heavy elements in such scenarios, on the basis of the observed nebular emission. We solve the steady-state ionization, level population, and thermal balance, for optically thin ejecta in non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE), in order to explore the role of heavy elements in cooling the gas, and their imprint in the emergent spectrum a few hundreds days post-explosion. We find that heavy elements would be relevant in the cooling process of the nebula only if they account for at least similar to 1 per cent of the total ejected mass, at the typical kinetic temperatures of a few thousands K. However, even in the absence of such amount, a few 0 . 1 per cent of the total ejected mass could be instead sufficient to leave a detectable imprint around similar to 1-10 mu m . This wavelength range, which would be relatively clean from features due to light elements, would be instead robustly populated by lines from heavy elements arising from forbidden transitions in their atomic fine structures. Hence, the new generation of telescopes, represented by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), will most likely allow for their detection.

Note: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Nukleare Astrophysik & Struktur (KNA)

Research Program(s):

1. 612 - Cosmic Matter in the Laboratory (POF4-612) (POF4-612)
2. DFG project 279384907 - SFB 1245: Atomkerne: Von fundamentalen Wechselwirkungen zu Struktur und Sternen (279384907) (279384907)
3. ElementsHessen - ELEMENTS : Exploring the Universe from microscopic to macroscopic scales (ELEMENTS cluster project) (ElementsHessen) (ElementsHessen)

Experiment(s):

1. no experiment theory work (theory)

Appears in the scientific report 2025

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