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Primordial Black Holes and r-Process Nucleosynthesis
George M Fuller1, Alexander Kusenko2,3, Volodymyr Takhistov2
1Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0424, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 27, 2017
Summary
Primordial black holes (PBHs) interacting with neutron stars (NSs) can explain the universe's heavy elements. This process produces observable electromagnetic transients, distinguishing it from other cosmic events.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Nuclear Physics
- Cosmology
Background:
- The origin of heavy elements, particularly those synthesized via the r-process, remains a significant puzzle in astrophysics.
- Neutron stars (NSs) are dense remnants of stellar evolution, and their interactions with other compact objects are potential sites for nucleosynthesis.
- Primordial black holes (PBHs) are hypothetical dark matter candidates that could interact with astrophysical objects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of primordial black hole-neutron star (PBH-NS) interactions as a source for r-process nucleosynthesis.
- To explore the observable signatures, including electromagnetic transients, produced by PBH-NS mergers.
- To reconcile this scenario with existing astrophysical observations and constraints.
Main Methods:
- Simulating the capture of PBHs by NSs and their subsequent internal accretion.
- Modeling the hydrodynamics and nuclear physics of matter ejected during PBH-NS destruction.
- Analyzing the electromagnetic and gravitational wave signatures of these events.
Main Results:
- PBH-NS interactions can produce a significant fraction of the cosmic r-process element inventory.
- The destruction of NSs by PBHs (10^-14 to 10^-8 solar masses) ejects neutron-rich material, leading to kilonova-like afterglows and fast radio bursts.
- These events are characterized by a lack of significant gravitational waves or neutrinos, differentiating them from compact object mergers.
Conclusions:
- The PBH-NS destruction model provides a viable explanation for r-process nucleosynthesis.
- This scenario is consistent with constraints from pulsar/NS statistics, dark matter distribution, and galactic chemical evolution.
- The predicted positron emission aligns with the observed 511-keV gamma-ray line from the Galactic center.
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