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Neutron Stars and Nuclear Fission
Scientists know that nuclear fusion is not just the primary source of energy for stars, but also the force that forges a variety of elements, the "heaviest" being iron.
The idea being that neutron stars create elements that are heavier than the heaviest elements in the periodic table, these massive short lived elements break down by fission but unlike regular fission they create elements like gold and uranium.
The picture of so-called nucleosynthesis for heavier elements like gold and uranium, however, has been somewhat more mysterious. Scientists suspect these valuable and rare heavy elements are created when two incredibly dense dead stars — neutron stars — collide and merge, creating an environment violent enough to forge elements that can't be created even in the most turbulent hearts of stars.
Scientists know that nuclear fusion is not just the primary source of energy for stars, but also the force that forges a variety of elements, the "heaviest" being iron.
The idea being that neutron stars create elements that are heavier than the heaviest elements in the periodic table, these massive short lived elements break down by fission but unlike regular fission they create elements like gold and uranium.
The picture of so-called nucleosynthesis for heavier elements like gold and uranium, however, has been somewhat more mysterious. Scientists suspect these valuable and rare heavy elements are created when two incredibly dense dead stars — neutron stars — collide and merge, creating an environment violent enough to forge elements that can't be created even in the most turbulent hearts of stars.