{
  "abstract": "Since the discovery of the binary neutron star merger GW170817 and its associated kilonova, neutron star mergers have been established as a key production channel for r -process elements in the Universe. However, multiple lines of evidence, including the observations of r -process abundances as inferred from stellar spectra of Milky Way disk stars, suggest that additional channels may be needed to fully account for the r -process element enrichment in the Milky Way. Neutron star–black hole mergers and fast-merging binary neutron star systems are among the leading alternative candidates. In this paper, we combine gravitational-wave observations from LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA with data from short gamma-ray bursts, Galactic pulsars, and Galactic [Eu/Fe] versus [Fe/H] abundance observations to assess the contribution of these mergers to r -process enrichment in the Galactic disk. Our analysis employs a unified, likelihood-based inference framework that consistently propagates uncertainties in merger rates, delay-time distributions, mass- and spin-dependent ejecta yields, and stellar abundance measurements. We find that neither neutron star–black hole mergers nor fast-merging binary neutron star populations can dominate the additional prompt enrichment required by the disk-star data unless one invokes extreme assumptions about merger rates or yields. Within the adopted model, these results strongly favor a substantial prompt enrichment component beyond the merger channels considered here.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "The University of Texas at Austin",
    "University of Greifswald",
    "University of Guelph",
    "Stripe",
    "California State University Fullerton"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Muhammed Saleem",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3836-7751"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hsin-Yu Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5403-3762"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Daniel M. Siegel",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6374-6465"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Philippe Landry",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8457-1964"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Jocelyn S. Read",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3923-1055"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kaile Wang"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7wtfn518tq3fn.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.3847/1538-4357/aea6aa",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "7wtfn518tq3fn",
  "issns": [
    "0004-637X",
    "1538-4357"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aea6aa",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4415192242",
  "pdf_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aea6aa/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": "American Astronomical Society",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7wtfn518tq3fn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:11Z",
      "native_id": "10.3847/1538-4357/aea6aa",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/aea6aa"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae",
      "subfield": "high-energy-astrophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Mergers Fall Short: Nonmerger Channels Required for Galactic Heavy Element Production",
  "title_text": "Mergers Fall Short: Nonmerger Channels Required for Galactic Heavy Element Production",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:11Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7wtfn518tq3fn",
  "venue": "The Astrophysical Journal",
  "versions": []
}