{
  "abstract": "Nuclear cosmochronology provides an independent method for determining the ages of astrophysical objects without relying on Galactic chemical evolution models. Long-lived radioactive actinides synthesized via the rapid neutron-capture process (r-process), particularly thorium and uranium serve as ideal chronometric nuclei. However, predicting the initial abundances of these nuclei and their subsequent long-term evolution remains a major source of uncertainty in nuclear cosmochronology. In this work, we investigate the impact of decay-chain feeding from long-lived progenitor nuclei on nuclear cosmochronology and estimate the corresponding age corrections. We develop a self-consistent radioactive decay network that includes all relevant decay pathways and couple it to r-process nucleosynthesis calculations. By tracking the long-term evolution of r-process nucleosynthesis based on neutron star merger trajectories, the dominant long-lived nuclei shaping the evolution of the chronometric elements Th and U are identified as $^{232}$Th, $^{235}$U, $^{236}$U, $^{238}$U, and $^{244}$Pu. It is found that delayed feeding substantially modifies the long-term evolution of actinides particularly for $^{232}$Th, which receives significant late-time contributions from heavier progenitor nuclei such as $^{244}$Pu and $^{236}$U. As a consequence, the U/Th and Th/X chronometers exhibit significant sensitivity to delayed feeding from the progenitor nuclei $^{244}$Pu and $^{236}$U, with age corrections reaching $\\sim 5$ Gyr. These results suggest that decay-chain feeding from long-lived progenitor nuclei plays a crucial role in nuclear cosmochronology and should be properly accounted for in age determinations based on actinide chronometers.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Guangxi Key Laboratory for Relativistic Astrophysics, School of Physical Science and Technology, Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 ,",
    "Laboratory of Karst Environmental Evolution and Ecological Security, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550081 ,"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qiu-Hong Chen",
      "orcid": "0009-0006-8625-5283"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Meng-Hua Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8406-8683"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xianlin Yang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4917-4808"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "En-Wei Liang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7044-733X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b1z52j37ph4ya.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/mnras/stag1940",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "b1z52j37ph4ya",
  "issns": [
    "0035-8711",
    "1365-2966"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag1940/8914590",
  "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",
      "3106|Nuclear physics research studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221693039",
  "pdf_url": "https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag1940/71915183/stag1940.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-13",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press (OUP)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b1z52j37ph4ya.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:17Z",
      "native_id": "10.1093/mnras/stag1940",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stag1940/8914590"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3106|Nuclear physics research studies",
      "subfield": "nuclear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Impact of decay-chain feeding by long-lived heavy nuclei on nuclear cosmochronology",
  "title_text": "Impact of decay-chain feeding by long-lived heavy nuclei on nuclear cosmochronology",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b1z52j37ph4ya",
  "venue": "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",
  "versions": []
}