Nuclear-Data Input to the Classical r-Process: The Case of β-Decay Properties

Attempts to explain the origin of r-process elements in our Solar System (S.S.) still face entwined uncertainties, stemming from the extrapolation of nuclear structure from the line of beta-stability to the neutron drip line, inconsistent sources of different properties (e.g. nuclear masses and beta-decay quantities), and the poor understanding of astrophysical conditions, which are often hard to disentangle. In this paper, we will focus on the two interrelated gross beta-decay quantities T-1/2 and P-n. We compare the recent experimental T-1/2 of very neutron-rich isotopes in the Kr-36 to Sn-50 region (measured at RIKEN) with consistent QRPA(GT+ff) predictions based on the two global deformed mass models ETFSI-Q(1996) and FRDM(2012). Analyzing the observed agreement and remaining deficiencies of the T-1/2 trends, we predict the still unknown beta-delayed neutron-emission probabilities (P-n) for these isotopes using the empirical Kratz-Herrmann formula (KHF) and the microscopic ETFSI-Q/QRPA(GT+ff) model combination.