1202.1758 (M. Mumpower et al.)

The Rare Earth Peak : An Overlooked r-Process Diagnostic    [PDF]

M. Mumpower, G. McLaughlin, R. Surman

The astrophysical site or sites responsible for the r-process of
nucleosynthesis still remains an enigma. Since the rare earth region is formed
in the latter stages of the r-process it provides a unique probe of the
astrophysical conditions during which the r-process takes place. We use
features of a successful rare earth region in the context of a high entropy
r-process (S>100k_B) and discuss the types of astrophysical conditions that
produce abundance patterns that best match meteoritic and observational data.
Despite uncertainties in nuclear physics input, this method effectively
constrains astrophysical conditions.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.1758