You can't have gold until a nucleus decays. The specifics of that process have been hard to pin down, but UT's nuclear ...

(CNN) — Two years ago astronomers for the first time observed the collision of two neutron stars, which created gravitational waves and light and created heavy elements such as gold, platinum and lead ...

Scientists know that elements lighter than iron are typically forged deep in the core of stars. The extremely high temperature in the core of stars can fuse protons allowing them to be smashed ...

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profile Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum ...

Heavy duty: artist’s impression of a kilonova releasing r-process elements into the cosmos. (Courtesy: ESO/L Calçada/M Kornmesser) The mystery of where heavy elements such as gold and silver come from ...

"Neutron stars are really fascinating from the points of view of both nuclear physics and astrophysics," said ORNL nuclear astrophysicist Kelly Chipps, who led a study published in Physical Review ...

"As we’ve acquired more observations, the cosmos is saying 'hey, there’s a signature here, and it can only come from fission.'" When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

A new study says the cataclysmic event of two neutron stars colliding may also have solved the mystery of why there are so many heavy elements in the universe. Share on Facebook (opens in a new window ...

Before the planets in our solar system formed or the Sun turned on and started shining, two other stars had to die. Their deaths and later collision would seed the area where our area with many of the ...

Kilonova: artist’s impression of merging neutron stars. (Courtesy: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick) The first spectroscopic evidence that heavy elements are created by the merger of two neutron ...

When two neutron stars merge, the resultant explosion forms heavy elements -- many of which make up our Universe. A new study has identified the specific rare-earth elements produced in a neutron star ...