The $R$-Process Alliance: Enrichment of $r$-process Elements in a Simulated Milky Way-like Galaxy

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Main Authors: Hirai, Yutaka, Beers, Timothy C., Lee, Young Sun, Wanajo, Shinya, Roederer, Ian U., Tanaka, Masaomi, Chiba, Masashi, Saitoh, Takayuki R., Placco, Vinicius M., Hansen, Terese T., Ezzeddine, Rana, Frebel, Anna, Holmbeck, Erika M., Sakari, Charli M.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Hirai, Yutaka
Beers, Timothy C.
Lee, Young Sun
Wanajo, Shinya
Roederer, Ian U.
Tanaka, Masaomi
Chiba, Masashi
Saitoh, Takayuki R.
Placco, Vinicius M.
Hansen, Terese T.
Ezzeddine, Rana
Frebel, Anna
Holmbeck, Erika M.
Sakari, Charli M.
author_facet Hirai, Yutaka
Beers, Timothy C.
Lee, Young Sun
Wanajo, Shinya
Roederer, Ian U.
Tanaka, Masaomi
Chiba, Masashi
Saitoh, Takayuki R.
Placco, Vinicius M.
Hansen, Terese T.
Ezzeddine, Rana
Frebel, Anna
Holmbeck, Erika M.
Sakari, Charli M.
contents We study the formation of stars with varying amounts of heavy elements synthesized by the rapid neutron-capture process ($r$-process) based on our detailed cosmological zoom-in simulation of a Milky Way-like galaxy with an $N$-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, ASURA. Most stars with no overabundance in $r$-process elements, as well as the strongly $r$-process enhanced $r$-II stars ([Eu/Fe] $>+0.7$), are formed in dwarf galaxies accreted by the Milky Way within the 6 Gyr after the Big Bang. In contrast, over half of the moderately enhanced $r$-I stars ($+0.3 <$ [Eu/Fe] $\leq +0.7$) are formed in the main in-situ disk after 6 Gyr. Our results suggest that the fraction of $r$-I and $r$-II stars formed in disrupted dwarf galaxies is larger the higher their [Eu/Fe] is. Accordingly, the most strongly enhanced $r$-III stars ([Eu/Fe] $> +2.0$) are formed in accreted components. These results suggest that non-$r$-process-enhanced stars and $r$-II stars are mainly formed in low-mass dwarf galaxies that hosted either none or a single neutron star merger, while the $r$-I stars tend to form in the well-mixed in-situ disk. We compare our findings with high-resolution spectroscopic observations of $r$-process-enhanced metal-poor stars in the halo and dwarf galaxies, including those collected by the R-Process Alliance. We conclude that observed [Eu/Fe] and [Eu/Mg] ratios can be employed in chemical tagging of the Milky Way's accretion history.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_11943
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The $R$-Process Alliance: Enrichment of $r$-process Elements in a Simulated Milky Way-like Galaxy
Hirai, Yutaka
Beers, Timothy C.
Lee, Young Sun
Wanajo, Shinya
Roederer, Ian U.
Tanaka, Masaomi
Chiba, Masashi
Saitoh, Takayuki R.
Placco, Vinicius M.
Hansen, Terese T.
Ezzeddine, Rana
Frebel, Anna
Holmbeck, Erika M.
Sakari, Charli M.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
We study the formation of stars with varying amounts of heavy elements synthesized by the rapid neutron-capture process ($r$-process) based on our detailed cosmological zoom-in simulation of a Milky Way-like galaxy with an $N$-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, ASURA. Most stars with no overabundance in $r$-process elements, as well as the strongly $r$-process enhanced $r$-II stars ([Eu/Fe] $>+0.7$), are formed in dwarf galaxies accreted by the Milky Way within the 6 Gyr after the Big Bang. In contrast, over half of the moderately enhanced $r$-I stars ($+0.3 <$ [Eu/Fe] $\leq +0.7$) are formed in the main in-situ disk after 6 Gyr. Our results suggest that the fraction of $r$-I and $r$-II stars formed in disrupted dwarf galaxies is larger the higher their [Eu/Fe] is. Accordingly, the most strongly enhanced $r$-III stars ([Eu/Fe] $> +2.0$) are formed in accreted components. These results suggest that non-$r$-process-enhanced stars and $r$-II stars are mainly formed in low-mass dwarf galaxies that hosted either none or a single neutron star merger, while the $r$-I stars tend to form in the well-mixed in-situ disk. We compare our findings with high-resolution spectroscopic observations of $r$-process-enhanced metal-poor stars in the halo and dwarf galaxies, including those collected by the R-Process Alliance. We conclude that observed [Eu/Fe] and [Eu/Mg] ratios can be employed in chemical tagging of the Milky Way's accretion history.
title The $R$-Process Alliance: Enrichment of $r$-process Elements in a Simulated Milky Way-like Galaxy
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.11943