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In dense stellar environments, nuclei may become unstable against electron captures and/or neutron emissions. These processes are of particular importance for determining the internal constitution of white-dwarf cores and neutron-star crusts. In this paper, the role of electron exchange and polarization effects is studied. In particular, the instability condition for the onset of electron captures and neutron emissions is extended so as to account for electron exchange and polarization. Moreover, general analytical expressions for the corresponding density and pressure are derived. The corrections to the electron-capture threshold in white-dwarf cores are found to be very small. Likewise, the neutron-drip density and pressure in the crusts of accreting and nonaccreting neutron stars are only slightly shifted. Depending on the nuclear mass model employed, electron polarization may change the composition of the crust of nonaccreting neutron stars. On the other hand, the current uncertainties in the masses of neutron-rich Kr and Sr isotopes are found to be more important than electron exchange and polarization effects., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures

Depending upon the properties of their compact remnants and the physics included in the models, simulations of neutron star mergers can produce a broad range of ejecta properties. The characteristics of this ejecta, in turn, define the kilonova emission. To explore the effect of ejecta properties, we present a grid of 2-component 2D axisymmetric kilonova simulations that vary mass, velocity, morphology, and composition. The masses and velocities of each component vary, respectively, from 0.001 to 0.1 M$_{\odot}$ and 0.05 to 0.3$c$, covering much of the range of results from the neutron star merger literature. The set of 900 models is constrained to have a toroidal low electron fraction ($Y_e$) ejecta with a robust r-process composition and either a spherical or lobed high-$Y_e$ ejecta with two possible compositions. We simulate these models with the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code SuperNu using a full suite of lanthanide and 4th row element opacities. We examine the trends of these models with parameter variation, show how it can be used with statistical tools, and compare the model light curves and spectra to those of AT2017gfo, the electromagnetic counterpart of GW170817., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, submitted to ApJ

More than 20 years have passed since the first attempts to find live supernova Fe-60 (t1/2 = 2.6 Myr) in a deep-sea ferromanganese crust [1]. Within these 20 years, strong evidence was presented for a global influx of supernova dust into several geological samples around 2 Myr ago. Recently, a much younger continuous influx was found in Antarctic snow and in deep-sea sediments [2-4] and an older peak around 7 Myr in deep-sea crusts [5,6]. The long-lived isotope Pu-244 (t1/2 = 80 Myr) is produced in the astrophysical r-process similarly to most of the heaviest elements. Although the production mechanism is believed to be understood, the astrophysical site is heavily disputed. Most likely scenarios involve a combination of rare supernovae and neutron star mergers. The search for Pu-244 signatures in samples with known Fe-60 signatures allows to test for either common influx patterns or a independent Pu-244 influxes disentangled from stellar Fe-60. Accordingly, this information provides a unique and direct experimental approach for identifying the production site of the heavy elements. Very recently and first reported in the AMS-14 conference, the first detection of interstellar Pu-244 was published [6]. This was only feasible by achieving the highest detection efficiencies for plutonium in AMS ever reported [7]. The achieved time resolution of 4.5 Myr integrates over the supernova influxes and is therefore not high enough to unequivocally show a correlated influx pattern of Fe-60 and Pu-244. Based on this progress, we are now aiming to measure highly time-resolved profiles of Fe-60 and Pu-244 in the largest ferromanganese crust used so far. Results on the characterisation of the crust including cosmogenic Be-10 (t1/2 = 1.4 Myr) dating and a 10 Myr profile of interstellar Fe-60 including the confirmation of the 7 Myr influx will be presented along with first data on interstellar Pu-244. [1] Knie et. al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83 (1999). [2] Koll et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 123 (2019). [3] Koll et al., EPJ 232 (2020). [4] Wallner et al., PNAS 117 (2020). [5] Wallner et al., Nature 532 (2016) [6] Wallner et al., Science 372 (2021) [7] Hotchkis et al., NIMB 438 (2019)

The gravitational wave event GW170817 with a macronova/kilonova shows that a merger of two neutron stars ejects matter with radioactivity including $r$-process nucleosynthesis. A part of the ejecta inevitably falls back to the central object, possibly powering long-lasting activities of a short gamma-ray burst (sGRB), such as extended and plateau emissions. We investigate the fallback accretion with the $r$-process heating by performing one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations and developing a semi-analytical model. We show that the usual fallback rate $dM/dt \propto t^{-5/3}$ is halted by the heating because pressure gradients accelerate ejecta beyond an escape velocity. The suppression is steeper than Chevalier's power-law model through Bondi accretion within a turn-around radius. The characteristic halting timescale is $\sim 10^5$--$10^9$ sec for the GW170817-like $r$-process heating, which is long enough to continue the long-lasting emission of sGRBs. The halting timescale is sensitive to the uncertainty of the $r$-process. Future observation of fallback halting could constrain the $r$-process heating on the year scale., 22 pages, 15 figures

Nükleer fizik alanındaki pek çok ilerleme ile birlikte nükleer reaksiyonlar ve çekirdek sentezleme yöntemleriyle nükleer haritayı oluşturan tüm çekirdekler hakkında bilgi sahibi olunmuştur. Çekirdeklerin sentezlenmesi için çeşitli yöntemler vardır. Yavaş nötron yakalama süreci olarak bilinen s-süreci ile kararlılık vadisinin üzerindeki çekirdekler sentezlenebilir. S- süreci ile üretilemeyen nötron bakımından zengin çekirdekler, hızlı nötron yakalama süreci olarak adlandırılan r-süreci ile üretilir. Son yıllarda, kararlılık vadisinin nötron ve proton sızma bölgelerini oluşturan ve egzotik çekirdek olarak adlandırılan çekirdekler üzerinde yapılan çalışmalar oldukça ilgi çekici bir alan olmuştur. Bu nötron veya proton zengin egzotik çekirdeklerle yapılan deneyler beraberinde teorik modellerin gelişimine de öncülük etmiştir. Bu bölgedeki çekirdek yapılarını anlamak ve oluşturmak için birçok bilgisayar kodu kullanılmaktadır. Bu tezde bu kodlardan füzyon buharlaşma kodları olarak bilinen PACE4, EMPIRE, HIVAP ve TALYS kodları ile çalışılmıştır. Deneysel veriler ile bu kodlar yardımıyla hesaplanan tesir kesit değerlerinin karşılaştırılması yapılmıştır. Kodların hangi reaksiyon mekanizmaları için avantajlı veya dezavantajlı olduğunun, çeşitlendirilen örneklerle açıklanması hedeflenmiştir., Along with many advances in the field of nuclear physics, knowledge about all nuclei that make up the nuclear map has been gained through nuclear reactions and nuclear synthesis methods. There are various methods for synthesizing nuclei. Nuclei above the stability valley are synthesized by the s-process, known as the slow neutron capture process. Neutron-rich nuclei that cannot be produced by the S-process are produced by the r-process, which is called the fast neutron capture process. In recent years, studies on the so-called exotic nuclei, which form the neutron and proton rich leakage regions of the stability valley, have been a very interesting area. Experiments with these neutron or proton exotic nuclei led to the development of theoretical models. In order to form and understand the structure of these nuclei , many computer codes are used. In this thesis, known as fusion evaporation codes such as PACE4, EMPIRE, HIVAP and TALYS codes were studied. The cross section values calculated with the help of these codes were compared with the experimental data. It is aimed to explain which reaction mechanisms the codes are advantageous or disadvantageous with various examples.

Stars are the major element factories in the universe. In 1999, live supernova Fe-60 (t1/2 =2.6 Myr) was detected in a deep-sea ferromanganese crust (1 ) indicating the accumulation of supernova dust on Earth about 2 million years ago. This was followed by several projects reinforcing the initial evidence for a global influx of supernova Fe-60. Recently, a much younger continuous influx was found in Antarctic snow and in deep-sea sediments (2 –4 ) and an older peak around 6 - 8 Myr in deep-sea crusts (5 , 6 ). In contrast to the well-known production mechanism and synthesis site of Fe-60, the long-lived plutonium isotope Pu-244 (t1/2 =80 Myr) is a pure r-process nucleus. The nucleosynthesis site for the astrophysical r-process is still debated in the astrophysics community. Potential candidates involve rare supernovae and neutron star mergers. To date no evidence was presented that would point to an exclusive r-process site and combinations of different sites are considered. Experimentally, we can search for Pu-244 signatures in samples with known Fe-60 signatures to test for either common influx patterns or independent Pu-244 influxes disentangled from stellar Fe-60. Accordingly, this information provides a unique and direct experimental approach for identifying the production site of the heavy elements. Based on the recent publication of the first detection of interstellar Pu-244 in a ferromanganese crust with a time resolution of 4.5 Myr (integrating over much shorter Fe-60 influxes) (6 ), we are now working on a highly time-resolved profile of Fe-60 and Pu-244 in the large ferromanganese crust VA13/237KD. This direct experimental input will further constrain models for r-process nucleosynthesis in the galaxy. The recently determined profile of Fe-60 clearly shows two influxes, one at 2 Myr, the other at 7 Myr, confirming and refining previous results. Preliminary data on Pu-244 and an outlook for future measurement campaigns will be given. References 1. K. Knie et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 18–21 (1999). 2. D. Koll et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 072701 (2019). 3. A. Wallner et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, 21873–21879 (2020). 4. D. Koll et al., EPJ Web Conf. 232, 02001 (2020). 5. A. Wallner et al., Nature 532, 69–72 (2016). 6. A. Wallner et al., Science 372, 742–745 (2021).

Recent multi-messenger detection of the binary neutron star merger (GW170817) energized the astrophysical community and encouraged further research for determination of nuclear physics observables. Comprehensive studies of atomic nuclei in the cosmos provide an opportunity for investigating these astrophysical phenomena and acquiring complementary information on stellar nucleosynthesis processes that can be verified using the latest nuclear data. Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF) libraries contain complete collections of reaction cross sections over the energy range relevant to astrophysics, fission yields and decay data. These data collections have been used worldwide in nuclear science, industry and national security applications. There is great interest in exploring the ENDF/B-VIII.0 and TALYS Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (TENDL-2015) for nuclear astrophysics purposes and comparing findings with the Karlsruhe Astrophysical Database of Nucleosynthesis in Stars (KADoNiS). The Maxwellian-averaged cross sections (MACS) and astrophysical reaction rates have been calculated using the ENDF/B-VIII.0 and TENDL-2015 evaluated data sets. The calculated cross sections were combined with the solar system abundances and fitted using the classical model of stellar nucleosynthesis. Astrophysical rapid- and slow-neutron capture, $r$- and $s$-process, respectively, abundances were obtained from present data and compared with available values. Further analysis of MACS reveals potential evaluated libraries data deficiencies and a strong need for new measurements. The current results demonstrate a large nuclear astrophysics potential of evaluated libraries and mutually beneficial relations between nuclear industry and research efforts.

We give a brief overview of the current status of important nuclear physics inputs, like reaction rates, in hydrostatic and explosive nucleosynthesis. Recently, it has been proposed that exotic neutron-rich nuclei play an important role even in the formation of heavy elements via the r-process. The main problems here are identification, abundance estimation of seed nuclei in these processes, and their pathways. We will try to highlight how improved nuclear structure and reaction calculations can affect our present understanding of radiative capture rates of light-mass and medium-mass nuclei, which in turn can drastically influence the abundance of heavier-mass elements.

We present the high-resolution spectroscopic analysis of two new extremely metal-poor stars (EMPS) candidates in the dwarf spheroidal galaxy Sextans. These targets were pre-selected from medium resolution spectra centered around the Ca II triplet in the near-infrared and followed-up at higher resolution with VLT/UVES. We confirm their low metallicities with [Fe/H]=-2.95 and [Fe/H]=-3.01, placing them among the most metal-poor stars known in Sextans. The abundances of 18 elements, including C, Na, the alpha-elements, Fe-peak, and neutron capture elements, are determined. In particular, we present the first measurements of Zn in a classical dwarf at extremely low metallicity. There has been previous hints of a large scatter in the abundance ratios of the Sextans stellar population around [Fe/H] -3 when compared to other galaxies. We took the opportunity of this work to re-analyse the full sample of EMPS and find a Milky-Way -like plateau and a normal dispersion at fixed metallicity., Accepted for publication in A&A. 14 pages, 10 figures

We present an on-going project consisting of analysis of a sample of twenty-five metal-poor stars, most of them carbon-enriched and thus tagged carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars, observed with the high-resolution HERMES spectrograph mounted on the Mercator telescope (La Palma), the UVES spectrograph on VLT (ESO Chile), or the HIRES spectrograph on KECK (Hawaii). This sample consists of CEMP-s stars, which are CEMP stars enriched in slow-neutron-capture (s-process) elements, as well as CEMP-rs stars enriched with both s-process and rapid-neutron-capture (r-process) elements. We also included an r-process-enriched star for comparison purposes. The origin of the abundance differences between CEMP-s and CEMP-rs stars is presently unknown. It has been claimed that the i-process (intermediate nucleosynthesis process), whose site still remains to be identified, could better reproduce CEMP-rs abundances than the s-process. We aim at understanding whether the i-process and its putative site can reproduce the abundance pattern measured in CEMP-rs stars., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The systematic investigation of the ground state and fission properties of even-even actinides and superheavy nuclei with $Z=90-120$ from the two-proton up to two-neutron drip lines with proper assessment of systematic theoretical uncertainties has been performed for the first time in the framework of covariant density functional theory (CDFT). These results provide a necessary theoretical input for the r-process modeling in heavy nuclei and, in particular, for the study of fission recycling. Four state-of-the-art globally tested covariant energy density functionals (CEDFs), namely, DD-PC1, DD-ME2, NL3* and PC-PK1, representing the major classes of the CDFT models are employed in the present study. Ground state deformations, binding energies, two neutron separation energies, $\alpha$-decay $Q_{\alpha}$ values and half-lives and the heights of fission barriers have been calculated for all these nuclei. Theoretical uncertainties in these physical observables and their evolution as a function of proton and neutron numbers have been quantified and their major sources have been identified. Spherical shell closures at $Z=120$, $N=184$ and $N=258$ and the structure of the single-particle (especially, high-$j$) states in their vicinities as well as nuclear matter properties of employed CEDFs are two major factors contributing into theoretical uncertainties. However, different physical observables are affected in a different way by these two factors. For example, theoretical uncertainties in calculated ground state deformations are affected mostly by former factor, while theoretical uncertainties in fission barriers depend on both of these factors., Comment: 28 pages, 18 figures, Physical Review C, in press

The radiative neutron capture rates for isotopes of astrophysical interest are commonly calculated within the statistical Hauser-Feshbach reaction model. Such an approach, assuming a high level density in the compound system, can be questioned in light and neutron-rich nuclei for which only a few or no resonant states are available. Therefore, in this work we focus on the direct neutron-capture process. We employ a shell-model approach in several model spaces with well-established effective interactions to calculate spectra and spectroscopic factors in a set of 50 neutron-rich target nuclei in different mass regions, including doubly-, semi-magic and deformed ones. Those theoretical energies and spectroscopic factors are used to evaluate direct neutron capture rates and to test global theoretical models using average spectroscopic factors and level densities based on the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov plus combinatorial method. The comparison of shell-model and global model results reveals several discrepancies that can be related to problems in level densities. All the results show however that the direct capture is non-negligible with respect to the by-default Hauser-Feshbach predictions and can be even 100 times more important for the most neutron-rich nuclei close to the neutron drip line., 10 pages, 9 figures, submitted to EPJ A

Gravitational wave (GW) observatories are discovering binary neutron star mergers (BNSMs), and in at least one event we were able to track it down in multiple wavelengths of light, which allowed us to identify the host galaxy. Using a catalogue of local galaxies with inferred star formation histories and adopting a BNSM delay time distribution (DTD) model, we investigate the dependence of BNSM rate on an array of galaxy properties. Compared to the intrinsic property distribution of galaxies, that of BNSM host galaxies is skewed toward galaxies with redder colour, lower specific star formation rate, higher luminosity, and higher stellar mass, reflecting the tendency of higher BNSM rates in more massive galaxies. We introduce a formalism to efficiently make forecast on using host galaxy properties to constrain DTD models. We find comparable constraints from the dependence of BNSM occurrence distribution on galaxy colour, specific star formation rate, and stellar mass, all better than those from dependence on $r$-band luminosity. The tightest constraints come from using individual star formation histories of host galaxies, which reduces the uncertainties on DTD parameters by a factor of three or more. Substantially different DTD models can be differentiated with about 10 BNSM detections. To constrain DTD parameters at 10\% precision level requires about one hundred detections, achievable with GW observations on a decade time scale., 11 pages, 4 figures, Accepted to MNRAS Oct. 2020

We develop a method to compute thermally-mediated transition rates between the ground state and long-lived isomers in nuclei. We also establish criteria delimiting a thermalization temperature above which a nucleus may be considered a single species and below which it must be treated as two separate species: a ground state species, and an astrophysical isomer ("astromer") species. Below the thermalization temperature, the destruction rates dominate the internal transition rates between the ground state and the isomer. If the destruction rates also differ greatly from one another, the nuclear levels fall out of or fail to reach thermal equilibrium. Without thermal equilibrium, there may not be a safe assumption about the distribution of occupation probability among the nuclear levels when computing nuclear reaction rates. In these conditions, the isomer has astrophysical consequences and should be treated a separate astromer species which evolves separately from the ground state in a nucleosynthesis network. We apply our transition rate methods and perform sensitivity studies on a few well-known astromers. We also study transitions in several other isomers of likely astrophysical interest., Accepted to ApJS, see eventual published article for data. 23 pages, 21 figures

We report the first detection of the Pb II line at 2203.534 Angstroms in three metal-poor stars, using ultraviolet spectra obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We perform a standard abundance analysis assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) to derive lead (Pb, Z=82) abundances. The Pb II line yields a higher abundance than Pb I lines by +0.36 +/- 0.34 dex and +0.49 +/- 0.28 dex in the stars HD 94028 and HD 196944, where Pb I lines had been detected previously. The Pb II line is likely formed in LTE, and these offsets affirm previous calculations showing that Pb I lines commonly used as abundance indicators underestimate the Pb abundance in LTE. Pb is enhanced in the s-process-enriched stars HD 94028 ([Pb/Fe] = +0.95 +/- 0.14) and HD 196944 ([Pb/Fe] = +2.28 +/- 0.23), and we show that Pb-208 is the dominant Pb isotope in these two stars. The log epsilon(Pb/Eu) ratio in the r-process-enhanced star HD 222925 is 0.76 +/- 0.14, which matches the Solar System r-process ratio and indicates that the Solar System r-process residuals for Pb are, in aggregate, correct. The Th/Pb chronometer in HD 222925 yields an age of 8.2 +/- 5.8 Gyr, and we highlight the potential of the Th/Pb chronometer as a relatively model-insensitive age indicator in r-process-enhanced stars., Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters (7 pages, 2 figures)

Context. We present a large homogeneous set of stellar parameters and abundances across a broad range of metallicities, involving 13 classical dwarf spheroidal (dSph) and ultra-faint dSph (UFD) galaxies. In total, this study includes 380 stars in Fornax, Sagittarius, Sculptor, Sextans, Carina, Ursa Minor, Draco, Reticulum II, Bootes I, Ursa Major II, Leo I, Segue I, and Triangulum II. This sample represents the largest, homogeneous, high-resolution study of dSph galaxies to date. Aims. With our homogeneously derived catalog, we are able to search for similar and deviating trends across different galaxies. We investigate the mass dependence of the individual systems on the production of α-elements, but also try to shed light on the long-standing puzzle of the dominant production site of r-process elements. Methods. We used data from the Keck observatory archive and the ESO reduced archive to reanalyze stars from these 13 classical dSph and UFD galaxies. We automatized the step of obtaining stellar parameters, but ran a full spectrum synthesis (1D, local thermal equilibrium) to derive all abundances except for iron to which we applied nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium corrections where possible. Results. The homogenized set of abundances yielded the unique possibility of deriving a relation between the onset of type Ia supernovae and the stellar mass of the galaxy. Furthermore, we derived a formula to estimate the evolution of α-elements. This reveals a universal relation of these systems across a large range in mass. Finally, we show that between stellar masses of 2.1 × 107 M⊙ and 2.9 × 105 M⊙, there is no dependence of the production of heavy r-process elements on the stellar mass of the galaxy. Conclusions. Placing all abundances consistently on the same scale is crucial to answering questions about the chemical history of galaxies. By homogeneously analyzing Ba and Eu in the 13 systems, we have traced the onset of the s-process and found it to increase with metallicity as a function of the galaxy’s stellar mass. Moreover, the r-process material correlates with the α-elements indicating some coproduction of these, which in turn would point toward rare core-collapse supernovae rather than binary neutron star mergers as a host for the r-process at low [Fe/H] in the investigated dSph systems.

Fission barriers for a large number of nuclei have been extracted from Gogny D1M potential energy surfaces and compared to experimental data. The same data have been used to estimate spontaneous fission half-lives on the basis of the least-action path. An upgraded version of the SPY model for the calculation of the main observables related to fission fragments is also presented. Fission path and yields are key ingredients to estimate the composition of matter synthesized by the r-process nucleosynthesis in the ejecta of binary neutron star mergers., SCOPUS: cp.p, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

We present a systematic numerical-relativity study of the dynamical ejecta, winds and nucleosynthesis in neutron star merger remnants. Binaries with the chirp mass compatible with GW170817, different mass ratios, and five microphysical equations of state (EOS) are simulated with an approximate neutrino transport and a subgrid model for magnetohydrodynamics turbulence up to 100 milliseconds postmerger. Spiral density waves propagating from the neutron star remnant to the disk trigger a wind with mass flux ${\sim}0.1{-}0.5\,{\rm M_\odot/s}$ persisting for the entire simulation as long as the remnant does not collapse to black hole. This wind has average electron fraction $\gtrsim 0.3$ and average velocity ${\sim}0.1-0.17\,$c and thus is a site for the production of weak $r$-process elements (mass number $A, 20 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables

We present a study on the detailed chemical abundances of five new relatively bright $r$-process-enhanced stars that were initially observed as part of the SDSS/MARVELS pre-survey. These stars were selected, on the basis of their metallicities and carbon abundances, among a total of 60 stars, for high-resolution spectroscopic follow-up as part of the HESP-GOMPA survey (Hanle Echelle SPectrograph -- Galactic survey Of Metal Poor stArs). Here we discuss the three new $r$-I and two new $r$-II stars found in this survey. We have carried out a detailed abundance analysis for each of these stars, at a resolving power of $R \sim 30,000$, and compare our results to the existing literature. We could measure three of the first $r$-process-peak elements (Sr, Y and Zr) in all five stars, while Ba, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Dy could be detected among the second $r$-process-peak elements. Thorium could also be detected in one of the targets, which is found to be an actinide-boost star. We have carried out a comparative study among the sub-populations of the $r$-process-enhanced stars and other stars of the Milky Way halo population to constrain the origin of this class of objects. These bright $r$-process-enhanced stars provide an excellent opportunity to study the nucleosynthesis history of this population in great detail, and shed light on their chemical-enrichment histories., 22 pages, 10 figures, 9 tables, Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

We study the post-merger mass ejection of low-mass binary neutron stars (NSs) with the system mass of $2.5\, M_\odot$, and subsequent nucleosynthesis by performing general-relativistic, neutrino-radiation viscous-hydrodynamics simulations in axial symmetry. We find that the merger remnants are long-lived massive NSs surviving more than several seconds, irrespective of the nuclear equations of state (EOSs) adopted. The ejecta masses of our fiducial models are $\sim 0.06$-$0.1\, M_\odot$ (depending on the EOS), being $\sim 30\%$ of the initial disk masses ($\sim 0.15$-$0.3\, M_\odot$). Post-processing nucleosynthesis calculations indicate that the ejecta is composed mainly of light $r$-process nuclei with small amounts of lanthanides (mass fraction $\sim 0.002$-$0.004$) and heavier species due to the modest average electron fraction ($\sim 0.32$-$0.34$) for a reasonable value of the viscous coefficient. Such abundance distributions are incompatible with the solar $r$-process-like abundance patterns found in all measured $r$-process-enhanced metal-poor stars. Therefore, low-mass binary NS mergers should be rare. If such low-mass NS mergers occur, their electromagnetic counterparts, kilonovae, will be characterized by an early bright blue emission because of the large ejecta mass as well as the small lanthanide fraction. We also show, however, that if the effective turbulent viscosity is very high, or there is an efficient mass ejection working in the early post-merger phase, the electron fraction of the ejecta could be low enough that the solar $r$-process-like abundance pattern is reproduced and the lanthanide fraction becomes so high that the kilonova would be characterized by early bright blue and late bright red emissions., 35 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables. Submitted to ApJ

This compilation is the fourth data release from the $R$-Process Alliance (RPA) search for $r$-process-enhanced stars, and the second release based on "snapshot" high-resolution ($R \sim 30,000$) spectra collected with the du Pont 2.5m Telescope. In this data release, we propose a new delineation between the $r$-I and $r$-II stellar classes at $\mathrm{[Eu/Fe]} = +0.7$, instead of the empirically chosen $\mathrm{[Eu/Fe]} = +1.0$ level previously in use, based on statistical tests of the complete set of RPA data released to date. We also statistically justify the minimum level of [Eu/Fe] for definition of the $r$-I stars, [Eu/Fe] $> +0.3$. Redefining the separation between $r$-I and $r$-II stars will aid in analysis of the possible progenitors of these two classes of stars and whether these signatures arise from separate astrophysical sources at all. Applying this redefinition to previous RPA data, the number of identified $r$-II and $r$-I stars changes to 51 and 121, respectively, from the initial set of data releases published thus far. In this data release, we identify 21 new $r$-II, 111 new $r$-I (plus three re-identified), and 7 new (plus one re-identified) limited-$r$ stars out of a total of 232 target stars, resulting in a total sample of 72 new $r$-II stars, 232 new $r$-I stars, and 42 new limited-$r$ stars identified by the RPA to date., 17 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables; accepted to ApJS

$\textbf{Background}$ More than half of all the elements heavier than iron are made by the rapid neutron capture process (or r process). For very neutron-rich astrophysical conditions, such at those found in the tidal ejecta of neutron stars, nuclear fission determines the r-process endpoint, and the fission fragment yields shape the final abundances of $110\le A \le 170$ nuclei. The knowledge of fission fragment yields of hundreds of nuclei inhabiting very neutron-rich regions of the nuclear landscape is thus crucial for the modeling of heavy-element nucleosynthesis. $\textbf{Purpose}$ In this study, we propose a model for the fast calculation of fission fragment yields based on the concept of shell-stabilized prefragments defined with help of the nucleonic localization functions. $\textbf{Methods}$ To generate realistic potential energy surfaces and nucleonic localizations, we apply Skyrme Density Functional Theory. The distribution of the neck nucleons among the two prefragments is obtained by means of a statistical model. $\textbf{Results}$ We benchmark the method by studying the fission yields of $^{178}$Pt, $^{240}$Pu, $^{254}$Cf, and $^{254,256,258}$Fm and show that it satisfactorily explains the experimental data. We then make predictions for $^{254}$Pu and $^{290}$Fm as two representative cases of fissioning nuclei that are expected to significantly contribute during the r-process nucleosynthesis occurring in neutron star mergers. $\textbf{Conclusions}$ The proposed framework provides an efficient alternative to microscopic approaches based on the evolution of the system in a space of collective coordinates all the way to scission. It can be used to carry out global calculations of fission fragment distributions across the r-process region., 10 pages, 9 figures

A possible mechanism for the formation of heavy-mass elements in supernovae is the rapid neutron-capture-mechanism (r-process). It depends upon the electron-fraction $Y_e$, a quantity which is determined by beta-decay-rates. In this paper, we focus on the calculation of electroweak decay-rates in presence of massive neutrinos. The resulting expressions are then used to calculate nuclear reactions entering the rapid-neutron capture. We fix the astrophysical parameters to the case of a core-collapse supernova. The neutrino sector includes a mass scheme and mixing angles for active neutrinos, and also by including the mixing between active and sterile neutrinos. The results of the calculations show that the predicted abundances of heavy-mass nuclei are indeed affected by the neutrino mixing., 13 pages, 5 figures