Speaker
Masomi Tanaka
Description
Kilonova/macronova is optical and near-infrared emission
powered by radioactive
decays of r-process nuclei. Properties of the emission are
mainly determined by the
opacity in the ejecta as well as the mass and velocities of
the ejecta. The opacities of
r-process elements are one of the most uncertain factors to
predict the properties of
the emission. We have recently performed new atomic
structure calculations for Se
(Z=34), Ru (Z=44), Te (Z=52), Nd (Z=60) and Er (Z=68). Using
these results, we
have performed wavelength-dependent radiative transfer
simulations in the ejecta
from compact binary mergers. We found that the opacity of
Lanthanide-rich ejecta is
as high as ~10 cm^2 g^-1 (as previously studied) while the
opacity of Lanthanide-
free ejecta is approximated as ~0.5 cm^2 g^-1. We show
expected brightness of
kilonova/macronova emission based on these results, and
discuss observing strategies
of EM follow-up observations.
