Free neutrons survive r-process freeze-out in fast ejecta of neutron star mergers and their beta-decay heating produces a visible early kilonova precursor for mass fractions above ~0.05.
Nuclear Composition of Gamma-Ray Burst Fireballs
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abstract
We study three processes that shape the nuclear composition of GRB fireballs: (1) neutronization in the central engine, (2) nucleosynthesis in the fireball as it expands and cools, and (3) spallation of nuclei in subsequent internal shocks. The fireballs are found to have a neutron excess and a marginally successful nucleosynthesis. They are composed of free nucleons, alpha-particles, and deuterium. A robust result is the survival of a significant neutron component, which has important implications. First, as shown in previous works, neutrons can lead to observable multi-GeV neutrino emission. Second, as we show in an accompanying paper, neutrons impact the explosion dynamics at radii up to 10^{17} cm and change the mechanism of the GRB afterglow emission.
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Nucleosynthesis in the fast ejecta of a neutron star merger
Free neutrons survive r-process freeze-out in fast ejecta of neutron star mergers and their beta-decay heating produces a visible early kilonova precursor for mass fractions above ~0.05.