The r-Process Nucleosynthesis: Connecting FRIB with the Cosmos

This is an exciting time for the study of r-process nucleosynthesis. Astrophysical simulations of neutron star mergers and core collapse supernovae are making rapid progress, and locating attractive sites for the r-process.

We anticipate the historic detection of gravitational waves from neutron star mergers, as Advanced LIGO starts observations this fall. This will determine the merger rate. Heating from the decay of new r-process elements may be visible, after these mergers, by complimentary E+M observations. Detection of both electron neutrinos and antineutrinos, from the next galactic supernova, will constrain the composition of neutrino driven winds and provide unique nucleosynthesis information.

Finally FRIB, and other laboratories, will soon have dramatic new capabilities to synthesize many neutron rich nuclei that are involved in the r-process. FRIB can significantly improve our understanding of the r-process and likely resolve one of the main outstanding problems in classical nuclear astrophysics. However to make best use of the new experimental capabilities, and to fully interpret the results, a great deal of infrastructure is needed in many related areas of astrophysics, astronomy, and nuclear theory.

We will hold a three-week ICNT program to explore promising r-process experiments at FRIB, and other laboratories, and discuss their likely impact. We will place these experiments in context by discussing astrophysical simulations and observations of r-process sites, observations of stellar abundances, galactic chemical evolution, and nuclear theory for the structure and reactions of very neutron rich nuclei.

The outcome of this program will be a white paper discussing promising r-process experiments, their likely impact, and their astrophysical, astronomical, and nuclear theory context.