Hydrogen and helium formed shortly after the Big Bang. Stars create elements lighter than iron through nuclear fusion. Supernovae produce elements heavier than iron via the r-process. Neutron star ...

Figure 1: Schematic illustration of the components of matter ejected from neutron-star mergers. The characteristic luminosity of the kilonova is approximately equal to the radioactive heating rate at ...

Elements heavier than iron, such as gold and uranium, are primarily formed through neutron capture processes, specifically the rapid neutron capture process (r-process). The r-process, unlike the ...

Violent explosions of massive, magnetized stars may forge most of the universe’s heavy elements, such as silver and uranium. The ancient star’s elements aren’t from the remnants of a neutron star ...

For the first time, astronomers have definitively ID’d a specific heavy element forged by a neutron star merger. Theories of physics have long predicted that about half of the universe’s heavy ...

Heavy duty: artist’s impression of a kilonova releasing r-process elements into the cosmos. (Courtesy: ESO/L Calçada/M Kornmesser) The mystery of where heavy elements such as gold and silver come from ...

In a study published in The Astrophysical Journal, scientists have proposed the features of rapid neutron capture process (r-process) nucleosynthesis in a novel scenario, common envelope jet ...

Scientists detected strontium in the aftermath of a dead-star collision. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. For the first time, ...