Connecting Nuclei with the Universe

How to make gold and silver? The long-sought-after answer to this question remains one of the most challenging open problems that ties together nuclear physics with astronomy. Heavy elements like gold and silver are produced in the so-called rapid neutron-capture (r)-process. This process only occurs in rare explosive events in the Universe, like supernovae (SNe) and neutron star mergers (NSMs), making it hard for astronomers to gather direct observations of the element creation.