What is the mechanism known as rapid neutron capture occurring during stellar death?
Answer
r-process
The creation of the heaviest elements, those beyond iron, relies on an intensive process where atomic nuclei are bombarded with a massive influx of neutrons at an extremely high rate. This rapid capture mechanism is termed the r-process. During the conditions of a supernova explosion, nuclei capture neutrons faster than the resulting unstable isotopes have time to undergo radioactive decay. These neutron-rich isotopes then settle into stable, heavy elements before being ejected into the interstellar medium. This contrasts with the slower neutron capture process (s-process), which contributes lighter elements like barium and lead in AGB stars but cannot produce the very heaviest elements like uranium.
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