New calculations of gross β-decay properties for astrophysical applications:: Speeding-up the classical r process -: art. no. 055802

Recent compilations of experimental gross beta-decay properties, i.e., half-lives (T-1/2) and neutron-emission probabilities (P-n), are compared to improved global macroscopic-microscopic model predictions. The model combines calculations within the quasiparticle (QP) random-phase approximation for the Gamow-Teller (GT) part with an empirical spreading of the QP strength and the gross theory for the first-forbidden part of beta(-) decay. Nuclear masses are either taken from the 1995 data compilation of Audi , when available, otherwise from the finite-range droplet model. Especially for spherical and neutron-(sub-)magic isotopes a considerable improvement compared to our earlier predictions for pure GT decay (ADNDT, 1997) is observed. T-1/2 and P-n values up to the neutron drip line have been used in r-process calculations within the classical waiting-point approximation. With the new nuclear-physics input, a considerable speeding-up of the r-matter flow is observed, in particular at those r-abundance peaks which are related to magic neutron-shell closures.