PREPRINT
23FD69CB-5F98-4160-8B2E-08C9BE92B988

# Radiative neutron capture reaction rates for r-process nucleosynthesis

Vinay Singh, Joydev Lahiri, Malay Kanti Dey, D. N. Basu
arXiv:2206.15022

Submitted on 30 June 2022

## Abstract

About half of the elements beyond iron are synthesized in stars by rapid-neutron capture process (r-process). The stellar environment provides very high neutron flux in a short time ($\sim$ seconds) which is conducive for the creation of progressively neutron-rich nuclei till the waiting point is reached after which no further neutron capture reactions proceed. At this point such extremely neutron-rich nuclei become stable via ${\beta }^{-}$ decay. A detailed understanding of the r-process remains illusive. In the present work, we explore the radiative neutron-capture (n,$\gamma$) cross sections and reaction rates around the r-process peak near mass number eighty. The inherent uncertainties remain large in some cases, particularly in case of neutron-rich nuclei. When the low-energy enhancement exists, it results in significant increase in the reaction rate for neutron-capture.

## Preprint

Comment: 12 pages including 21 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1907.08054

Subjects: Nuclear Theory; Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics; Nuclear Experiment