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The rapid neutron-capture (r-) process is the primary mechanism for producing heavy elements from iron to uranium, with binary neutron-star mergers serving as a key astrophysical environment for this nucleosynthesis. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

February 1, 2021Reviews of Modern Physics671 citationsOpen Access

Origin of the heaviest elements: The rapid neutron-capture process

JCJ. J. CowanUniversity of Oklahoma CSC. SnedenThe University of Texas at Austin JLJ. E. LawlerUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison

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Abstract

The rapid neutron-capture process plays a major role in the production of heavy elements from Fe to U. This review surveys the history and current understanding of r-process nucleosynthesis, covering new data from atomic and nuclear physics, astrophysical modeling of r-process sites, astronomical observations of stellar abundances, and galactic chemical evolution. It includes a timely and thorough discussion of plausible r-process astrophysical environments, following the first multimessenger observation of a binary neutron-star merger.

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