Nuclei in the Cosmos XII - Satellite Workshop

We give a short review on necessary conditions in order to achieve a sufficient neutron/seed ratio for an r-process to occur, what are the candidate astrophysical sites to fulfill such conditions (supernovae, magnetar-forming supernovae, quark (super-)novae, neutron star mergers,...), what is their role in the chemical evolution of galaxies, and whether there existed a chance to produce...

The rapid neutron capture process (r-process) is thought to be responsible for the creation of more than half of all elements beyond iron. The scientific challenges to understanding the origin of the heavy elements beyond iron lie in both the uncertainties associated with astrophysical conditions that are needed to allow an r-process to occur and a vast lack of knowledge about the properties...

Ground state masses belong to the most essential nuclear quantities for our understanding of nucleosynthesis processes in stars. Particularly for the r-process, masses of very neutron-rich nuclei are needed. The need is best explained by the fact that mass differences of specific neighboring nuclei define the neutron separation energy and thus determine the pathway of the process on the chart...

The $\beta$-decays of r-process neutron rich nuclei near the doubly magic $^{78}$Ni were studied at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) using an electromagnetic isobar separator. The half-lives of $^{82}$Zn (228$\pm$10 ms), $^{83}$Zn (117$\pm$20 ms) and $^{85}$Ga (93$\pm$7 ms) were determined for the first time. These half-lives were found to be dramatically different...