Endless Facts, One Snippet at a Time
Nuclear Physics and the Origin of Heavy Elements
- Light elements like hydrogen and helium formed shortly after the Big Bang.
- Heavier elements are created through nuclear fusion inside stars.
- Fusion in massive stars builds elements up to iron in the periodic table.
- Beyond iron, energy is absorbed rather than released during fusion.
- Supernova explosions create and scatter many heavy elements across space.
- Neutron star collisions forge gold, platinum, and other ultra-heavy elements.
- The rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) drives the creation of rare elements.
- The slow neutron-capture process (s-process) occurs inside aging stars.
- Every atom of calcium in your bones and iron in your blood was born in stars.
- Nuclear physics explains how cosmic furnaces built the ingredients for planets and life.