According to Qian, his work attempts to answer the most fundamental question in chemistry - how the basic elements were formed after a Big Bang that created only hydrogen and helium. The simple answer-exploding stars, or supernovae. In an environment with lots of neutrons, simpler atomic nuclei eat the neutrons rapidly and then rearrange into new, heavier elements through a process called beta decay. Type II supernovae provide just such a neutron-rich environment with plenty of heat and energy to bring the neutrons into contact with atomic nuclei. H events occur more often and give rise to the heaviest elements, such as uranium, gold, platinum and osmium.
L events occur with less frequency and create lighter elements, such as silver.
The exploding supernova ejects these elements universally-around galaxies, other stars and planets. The supernova remnants can become either a super-dense neutron star or a black hole. Qian and Wasserburg's conclusions are scheduled for publication in the May issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters. Supernovae are clearly the best bet for such locales. All rights reserved.