Stars forge elements in new, uncharted ways: Experimental physicist discusses the ‘i-process’

All around us are elements forged in stars, from the nickel and copper in coins to the gold and silver in jewelry. Scientists have a good understanding of how these elements form: In many cases, a nucleus heavier than iron captures neutrons until one decays, turning it into a heavier element. There’s a slow version of this neutron capture, the s-process, and a rapid version, the r-process.