Some supernovae might do it, but we have observational evidence of neutron stars colliding doing it, and the possibility that a collision between a neutron star and a black hole could also produce such elements. A new paper argues that the prime site of the r-process is collisions between neutron stars.įor the r-process to take place, an obscene amount of energy is required.
Gold, platinum, uranium, together with half of the atoms heavier than iron are formed this way. The heaviest elements in the periodic table are created in something called the r-process – a series of nuclear reactions that happen in the most energetic events in the Universe.
