Heavy-element nucleosynthesis

New measurements and theoretical studies of nuclear properties, together with new astronomical data on the growth of heavy-element abundances during the early history of the Galaxy, now provide a clearer picture of where in nature the elements heavier than iron are produced by rapid (r-process) and slow (s-process) neutron capture reactions. The nuclear data suggest that the r-process involves a high-neutron-density beta-flow equilibrium environment and that the s-process may have occured at a temperature and neutron density consistent with a 13C(α,n)16O neutron source. The astronomical data, when compared with simple galactic chemical evolution models, suggests that the r-process is associated with type II supernovae and that the neutron source must be manufactured by the star. Low-mass type II supernovae are proposed as the most important contributors to the r-process. A 13C neutron source in intermediate-mass stars is proposed for the s-process. (author) 64 refs