Nuclear Physics and the Origin of Heavy Elements

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