This paper presents a theory of nuclear reactions that explains the formation of new elements as a result of nucleon transfers between adjacent identical nuclei brought together by circulating light. As a result, the number of nucleons increases in one of the new nuclei, while it decreases in the other. The results of such reactions in nature, studied in many laboratories worldwide for decades and summarized in publicly available references, are presented. The significant difference in the abundance of elements in the Earth's crust compared to the abundance of the same elements in interstellar space, from which the Earth's crust formed, is explained. The reactions that resulted in this difference are presented. An alternative explanation for nucleosynthesis, which produced the heavy elements, is presented.
Vladimir Torchigin (Thu,) studied this question.