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Primordial Black Holes May Spur Production of Heavy Elements

Primordial black holes (PBH) interacting with rotating neutron stars can lead to the ejection of neutron-rich material, influencing heavy element production in space. This disruption process, when observed, can provide crucial insights and testing opportunities for PBH theories. The dynamics of PBH mergers with neutron stars and the resulting mass ejections can be evaluated through the conservation of angular momentum. The effects of such interactions can explain observed r-process abundance peaks and yield valuable information about neutron-rich matter in our galaxy. This phenomenon offers a unique testing ground by expecting distinct emissions like fast radio bursts and gamma rays, different from compact object mergers or supernova scenarios. The interplay between PBH disruption and neutron star evolution sheds light on the origin of heavy elements in the cosmos.

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Primordial Black Holes May Spur Production of Heavy Elements

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  1. Primordial Black Holes May Spur Production of Heavy Elements YaniUdianiNational Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

  2. Salient Points • Primordial black holes (PBH) may find their way into the cores of rotating neutron stars (pulsars). • The presence of a PBH can cause outer neutron rich layers to be ejected, showering space with r-process material. • Statistics of expected neutron star disruption process, and expected mass of ejected matter account for r-process content in our galaxy. • PBH disruptions of NS are expected to be accompanied by fast radio bursts and gamma rays. Moreover, significant gravitational waves andneutrino showers are not expected to be observed, providing means of testing idea.

  3. Neutron Star Disruption • Consider a PBH merging into the core of a rotating NS. The PBH pulls in matter decreasing the size of the star. Conservation of angular momentum will then yield “differential rotation”. • Depending on the viscosity and magnetic stresses in the system, the outer layers of the star can reach escape velocity showering surrounding space with (0.1-0.5) solar masses of neutron rich matter.

  4. Solving Equation of State • Faster rotating pulsars will eject more mass than slower counter parts Fuller et.al 2017

  5. Good Takeaways • Neutron ejection process leaves the starrelatively cool hence neutrino exposure is limited, andneutrino capture is suppressed. • PBH disruption theory can account for A=130 and A=195 observed r-process abundance peaks. • 105 neutron star disruption processes are expected to have occurred in the lifetime of our galaxy ejecting neutron rich material between 0.1 and 0.5 solar masses. • Simple calculation shows this corresponds to 10,000-50,000 solar masses of neutron rich matter.

  6. Testing • PBH disruption expected to be accompanied by fast broadband radio bursts (FRB) and gamma ray emissions due to the release of stored magnetic energy and acceleration of charged particles. • Significant gravitational waves and neutrino flux are not to be accompanied by FRBs and Kilonova like signatures. • A combination of these clues are not expected in compact object mergers, or supernova scenarios, thus providing means of testing PBH disruption theory.

  7. In case You’recurious • George M. Fuller et al. Primordial Black Holes and r-Process Nucleosynthesis, Physical Review Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.061101

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