Abstract:
The neutron capture rates of neutron-rich nuclei are key input parameters in r-process nucleosynthesis model calculations, and play a critical role in predicting the abundance distribution of heavy elements in astrophysical environments. Using the Hauser–Feshbach statistical model and the TALYS-2.0 code, we calculated neutron capture cross sections for the isotopes of ^114\text–120\rmSn using 60 different model combinations, derived from six nuclear level density models and ten gamma-strength function models. By comparing the results with experimental data and analyzing the deviations, we identified the optimal parameter combination for neutron-rich nuclei. Building on this, we convert TALYS-calculated reaction rates for 50 nuclei near A \sim 130 (with 48<Z<52 and 75<N<84) into REACLIB format and incorporate them into the SkyNet nuclear reaction network to investigate their impact on r-process abundance evolution. The obtained results show that local modifications to neutron capture rates significantly affect the abundances of nuclei in the A \sim 130 region. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis of individual nuclei reveals that specific isotopes play a critical role in shaping the r-process path.