Speaker
Description
Supernovae and kilonovae are explosive transients representing the deaths of massive stars and mergers of compact objects. In these explosions many radioactive elements are produced, the decay of which powers much of the electromagnetic display. I review the role of radioactivity in determining the observed supernova and kilonova properties, including the deposition physics and thermalization of gamma rays, leptons, alpha particles, and fission fragments. I then summarize what we have learned about the production of 56Ni, 57Ni, 44Ti, and other isotopes, by observing and modelling supernovae and kilonovae, and discuss what the implications are for progenitor properties and explosion physics. Finally, I outline the links between radioactivity in explosive transients and pre-solar grain compositions and earth deposits.
| Career stage | Tenured mid-to-late-career researcher |
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