Rebecca Surman

University of Notre Dame, March 27, 12:00 pm

The astrophysical origins of the heaviest elements

The heaviest naturally-occurring elements - Uranium and Thorium - are made exclusively by one nucleosynthesis process: rapid neutron capture, or r-process, nucleosynthesis. Actinide synthesis via the r-process requires extreme conditions of free neutron excess. While many potential astrophysical sites have been suggested for such conditions, including within rare supernovae, compact object mergers, and even more exotic events, the origins of the heaviest elements remain uncertain. Here we will discuss the r-process observables that have led to considerable recent progress in r-process science and the remaining uncertainties that obstruct a clear solution. We will then explore the promise of future observations and of experimental campaigns at rare isotope beam facilities to reduce these uncertainties and provide crucial insight into the astrophysics and microphysics of r-process sites.