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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.05424 |
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| _version_ | 1866913992628240384 |
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| author | Amend, Benjamin Fryer, Christopher L. Mumpower, Matthew R. Korobkin, Oleg |
| author_facet | Amend, Benjamin Fryer, Christopher L. Mumpower, Matthew R. Korobkin, Oleg |
| contents | We investigate the detectability of gamma-ray emission from long-lived radioactive isotopes in r-process-enriched remnants, focusing on how assumptions about their spatial distribution introduce uncertainty into detection prospects. Using a suite of physically motivated models for the Galactic distribution of kilonova and supernova remnants, we simulate synthetic remnant populations and compute their time-evolving gamma-ray spectra. We then compare these flux predictions to the sensitivity limits of next-generation instruments such as COSI and HEX-P. We find that even under optimistic assumptions, detection probabilities with COSI are extremely low ($\ll 1\%$), and that marginal improvements are only possible with instruments like HEX-P if prior localization is available. The choice of spatial distribution model can lead to more than an order-of-magnitude variation in expected line fluxes at low instrument sensitivities, underscoring the role of spatial modeling as a dominant source of uncertainty. Nevertheless, instrumental capability remains the fundamental bottleneck, and a hybrid mission combining COSI-like sky coverage with HEX-P-level line sensitivity would be required to make detection more probable than not. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_05424 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Spatial models of r-process remnants and their gamma-ray detectability Amend, Benjamin Fryer, Christopher L. Mumpower, Matthew R. Korobkin, Oleg High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena We investigate the detectability of gamma-ray emission from long-lived radioactive isotopes in r-process-enriched remnants, focusing on how assumptions about their spatial distribution introduce uncertainty into detection prospects. Using a suite of physically motivated models for the Galactic distribution of kilonova and supernova remnants, we simulate synthetic remnant populations and compute their time-evolving gamma-ray spectra. We then compare these flux predictions to the sensitivity limits of next-generation instruments such as COSI and HEX-P. We find that even under optimistic assumptions, detection probabilities with COSI are extremely low ($\ll 1\%$), and that marginal improvements are only possible with instruments like HEX-P if prior localization is available. The choice of spatial distribution model can lead to more than an order-of-magnitude variation in expected line fluxes at low instrument sensitivities, underscoring the role of spatial modeling as a dominant source of uncertainty. Nevertheless, instrumental capability remains the fundamental bottleneck, and a hybrid mission combining COSI-like sky coverage with HEX-P-level line sensitivity would be required to make detection more probable than not. |
| title | Spatial models of r-process remnants and their gamma-ray detectability |
| topic | High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.05424 |