Related papers: Gamma-ray line measurements from supernova explosi…
Gamma-ray lines from radioactive isotopes, ejected into interstellar space by cosmic nucleosynthesis events, are observed with new space telescopes. The Compton Observatory had provided a sky survey for the isotopes 56Co, 22Na, 44Ti, and…
In this review I discuss the various gamma-ray emission lines that are expected and have been observed from radioactive explosive nucleosynthesis products. The most important gamma-ray lines result from the decay chains of Ni-56, Ni-57, and…
Gamma-ray line studies are capable of identifying radioactive tracer isotopes generated in cosmic nucleosynthesis events. Pioneering measurements were made 30 years ago with HEAO-C1, detecting the first interstellar gamma-ray line from…
SN2014J is the closest supernova of type Ia that occured in the last 40 years. This provides an opportunity for unprecedented observational detail and coverage in many astronomical bands, which will help to better understand the still…
The measurement of gamma rays at MeV energies from cosmic radioactivities is one of the key tools for nuclear astrophysics, in its study of nuclear reactions and how they shape objects such as massive stars and supernova explosions.…
Gamma-ray lines from cosmic sources provide unique isotopic information, since they originate from energy level transitions in the atomic nucleus. Gamma-ray telescopes explored this astronomical window in the past three decades, detecting…
The measurement of gamma-ray lines from the decay chain of 56Ni provides unique information about the explosion in supernovae. The 56Ni freshly-produced in the supernova powers the optical light curve, as it emits gamma-rays upon its…
We review the characteristics of nucleosynthesis and radioactivities in 'Hypernovae', i.e., supernovae with very large explosion energies ($ \gsim 10^{52} $ ergs) and their $\gamma$-ray line signatures. We also discuss the $^{44}$Ti line…
The observation of a kilonova AT2017gfo associated with the gravitational wave event GW170817 provides the first strong evidence that neutron star mergers are dominant contributors to the production of heavy $r$-process elements.…
Gamma-ray spectrometers with high spectral resolution have been operated in space since 2002. Major efforts to understand instrumental response and backgrounds are a requird before detailed science interpretations can be derived; by now,…
The light curves of Type Ia Supernovae (SN Ia) are powered by gamma-rays emitted by the decay of radioactive elements such as $^{56}$Ni and its decay products. These gamma-rays are downscattered,absorbed, and eventually reprocessed into the…
Astrophysical gamma-ray spectroscopy is an invaluable tool for studying nuclear astrophysics, supernova structure, recent star formation in the Milky Way and mixing of nucleosynthesis products in the interstellar medium. After a short,…
Gamma-ray telescopes are capable of measuring radioactive trace isotopes from cosmic nucleosynthesis events. Such measurements address new isotope production rather directly for a few key isotopes such as 44Ti, 26Al, 60Fe, and 56Ni, as well…
The most energetic part of the electromagnetic spectrum bears the purest clues to the synthesis of atomic nuclei in the universe. The decay of radioactive species, synthesized in stellar environments and ejected into the interstellar…
Gamma-ray instrumentation for astronomical spectroscopy consists of multiple-interaction detectors in space combined with sophisticated post-processing of detector events on ground. Spectral signatures in the MeV regime originate from…
The optical light curve of Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) is powered by thermalized gamma-rays produced by the decay of 56Ni and 56Co, the main radioactive isotopes synthesized by the thermonuclear explosion of a C/O white dwarf. Gamma-rays…
We examine the detectability of $\gamma$-ray emission originating from the radioactive decays of unstable nuclei that are synthesized in relativistic outflows launched in magnetorotational core-collapse supernovae. The observed lines have…
We review the wide range of astrophysical observations of gamma ray emission lines and we discuss their implications. We consider line emission from solar flares, the Orion molecular cloud complex, supernovae 1987A and 1991T, the supernova…
The search for gamma-ray line emission from the radioactive decay of 60Fe figures among the prime scientific objectives of the INTEGRAL mission. 60Fe is believed to be primarily produced in core-collapse supernovae, although other sites,…
Gamma- and X-rays resulting from radioactive decays provide a potentially powerful tool to investigate the explosion physics of supernovae, since the distribution and the amount of radioactive isotopes are strongly dependent on properties…