Revised Lanthanide Abundance in Kilonova AT 2017gfo
Analysis
This paper improves the modeling of the kilonova AT 2017gfo by using updated atomic data for lanthanides. The key finding is a significantly lower lanthanide mass fraction than previously estimated, which impacts our understanding of heavy element synthesis in neutron star mergers.
Key Takeaways
- •Improved atomic data for lanthanides leads to a revised estimate of their abundance in the kilonova AT 2017gfo.
- •The lanthanide mass fraction is significantly lower than previously thought.
- •The study highlights the importance of using complete and accurate atomic data in astrophysical modeling.
- •Further research is needed to generate atomic data for other r-process elements.
Reference
“The model necessitates $X_{ extsc{ln}} \approx 2.5 imes 10^{-3}$, a value $20 imes$ lower than previously claimed.”