[SunkenCiv]

The rapid neutron capture process (r-process) occurs in neutron-rich environments such as neutron star mergers or certain types of supernovae. This process is thought to produce many of the chemical elements heavier than iron, but the details are poorly understood and cannot be studied in the laboratory. Roederer et al. analyzed r-process element abundances previously observed in stars. They identified correlated excess abundances of certain elements in some stars, which is consistent with these elements being fission products of even heavier elements. These results indicate that some r-process events make elements heavier than uranium, which then decay into the elements observed in stars.

Element abundance patterns in stars indicate fission of nuclei heavier than uranium | Keith T. Smith | Science | 7 Dec 2023 [Editor's summary]

[Paul R.]

ultradense remnants - hah! For a second there I thought the discussion had swerved into Biden...

[Bob434]

I wonder if,zelenski will let us mine them lol

[KarlInOhio]

In a flash, the jam-packed nucleus seems to go through internal changes and forms elements such as silver and gold.

Jam-packed? Is this the atomic pączki theory?

[Strict9]

And yet LORD Jesus converted water into wine using only His voice. Converting Hydrogen and oxygen into complex carbon molecules is fascinating. And the temperature didn’t change. Freakish power. Apparently there are ways other than slamming neutron stars together to manipulate matter. His technology/science is off the charts.

[rdcbn1]

No doubt the extreme conditions inside of stars creates some amazing heavy elements

In fact, many of these super heavy elements may be critical for keeping these stars stable and intact.

Many are also probably very unstable unless they exist within a stable island and cannot exist for long outside of the extreme conditions inside the stars that create them.

[AdmSmith]

They write “Our results indicate that neutron-rich nuclei with mass numbers >260 are produced in r-process events. In our sample, then nuclei with A > 260 (110 + 150) were produced in the r-process.”
The mass number (A) = number of protons (Z) + number of neutrons (N). The heaviest stable isotope is lead Pb-208 and the assumed element referred to in the article with A = 260 is Darmstadtium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darmstadtium

That is interesting, and if it is possible to get heavier elements then we will see “The End of Chemistry”
• Does the Periodic Table have limits? YES!!
• At some point (Z~122) all the electron energy levels of adjacent elements are similar so that there are no differences in their chemical behavior. p 21

https://pls.llnl.gov/sites/pls/files/2023-12/nnpss2015_SHE_Loveland.pdf

[Fresh Wind]

The scientists are fission for research grants!

[Captainpaintball]

Get every god damned Chinese m-f’er OUT OF THAT LAB if you made a discovery like this. That is, if there are any non-Chinese left in amerifat science anymore

[Verginius Rufus]

Who is to blame for this? Elon Musk or Donald Trump?

[oldbill]

Glad I’m out of school.
I had a hard enough time with the current periodic table. Imagine one twice as big.

[Nateman]

When Neutron stars merge, chuncks are splattered into space. They probably bust up like popcorn into stable isotopes. The recent detection of such a merger using gravity waves likely produced 3 Earth masses of Gold.