Nucleosynthesis

Nucleosynthesis is the process that creates new atomic nuclei from protons and neutrons, and apart from releasing a large amount of energy, it is critical in the formation of elements which are the building blocks of life and the universe.

There are several types:


 * Primordial or Big Bang: the first nuclei were formed a few minutes after the Big Bang, initially creating isotopes of hydrogen and helium, which is responsible for their abundance. Eventually, 80 primordial stable elements are formed.
 * Stellar: new nuclei are produced in stars during stellar evolution. It is responsible for the galactic abundances of elements from carbon to iron.
 * Neutron star: the merger of binary neutron stars (BNSs) is now believed to be the main source of elements heavier than iron.
 * Explosive: supernova nucleosynthesis occurs in which the elements between silicon and nickel are synthesized.
 * Black hole: their accretion disks contain material of high temperatures generated by high accretion rates, allowing nuclear fusion and nucleosynthesis to take place.
 * Cosmic ray spallation: cosmic rays are highly energetic charged space particles that collide with objects and produce some of the lighter elements such as helium, lithium, beryllium, and boron.