Opacities and Spectra of the r-process Ejecta from Neutron Star Mergers

Understand

Material ejected during (or immediately following) the merger of two neutron stars may assemble into heavy elements by the r-process.

• The subsequent radioactive decay of the nuclei can power electromagnetic emission similar to, but significantly dimmer than, an ordinary supernova.
• Identifying such events is an important goal of future transient surveys, offering new perspectives on the origin of r-process nuclei and the astrophysical sources of gravitational waves.
• Predictions of the transient light curves and spectra, however, have suffered from the uncertain optical properties of heavy ions.