RPA Southern Pilot Search of 107 Stars

The recent detection of a binary neutron star merger and the clear evidence for the decay of radioactive material observed in this event have, after 60 years of effort, provided an astrophysical site for the rapid neutron- capture (r-) process which is responsible for the production of the heaviest elements in our universe. However, observations of metal-poor stars with highly-enhanced r-process elements have revealed abundance patterns suggesting that multiple sites may be involved.

To address this issue and to advance our understanding of the r-process, we have initiated an extensive search for bright (V<13.5), very metal-poor ([Fe/H]<-2) stars in the Milky Way halo exhibiting strongly-enhanced r-process signatures. This paper presents the first sample collected in the southern hemisphere using the echelle spectrograph on du Pont 2.5m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We have observed and analyzed 107 stars with -3.13<[Fe/H]<-0.79.