The sensitivity of $r$-process nucleosynthesis to individual nuclear properties

Calculations of rapid neutron capture, or $r$-process, nucleosynthesis require nuclear data for thousands of nuclei far from stability. We currently have experimental information for only a handful of these nuclei, though many more neutron-rich species are within the reach of current and next generation experimental facilities. Sensitivity studies are one way to get at which of these thousands of nuclear properties are the most crucial to measure for the $r$ process. Our $r$-process sensitivity studies examine the roles of individual nuclear masses, beta decay rates, neutron capture rates, and beta-delayed neutron emission probabilities in $r$-process simulations in a variety of potential astrophysical environments. Here we will point out the pieces of nuclear data with the greatest impact on the final $r$-process abundance pattern and describe the mechanisms by which this influence occurs.