Light Element Synthesis in High Entropy Relativistic Flows Associated with Gamma Ray Bursts

Abstract

We calculate and discuss the light element freeze-out nucleosynthesis in high entropy winds and fireballs for broad ranges of entropy-per-baryon, dynamic timescales characterizing relativistic expansion, and neutron-to-proton ratios. With conditions characteristic of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) we find that deuterium production can be prodigious, with final abundance values 2H/H approximately 2%, depending on the fireball isospin, late time dynamics, and the effects of neutron decoupling- induced high energy non-thermal nuclear reactions. This implies that there potentially could be detectable local enhancements in the deuterium abundance associated with GRB events.