Sandblasting The R-process: Spallation Of R-process Nuclei Ejected From A NSNS Event

Neutron star mergers are r-process nucleosynthesis sites, which eject materials at high velocity ranging from 0.1c to 0.3c for different regions. Thus the r-process nuclei ejected from a neutron star merger event are sufficiently energetic to have spallation nuclear reactions with the interstellar medium particles. The spallation reactions tend to shift the r-process abundance patterns towards the solar data, and smooth the abundance shapes. The spallation effects depend on both the initial r-process nuclei conditions, which is determined by the astrophysical trajectories and nuclear data adopted for the r-process nucleosynthesis, and the propagation with various ejecta velocities and spallation cross-sections.