Joint Astrophysics Colloquium

Heavy element synthesis in the Universe

Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz

UCSC

Although the general picture of element formation is well understood, many questions about the nuclear physics processes and particularly the astrophysical details responsible for forming about half of the heaviest elements in the Universe remain to be answered. Finding out whether they can be made in cataclysmic events requires extensive astronomical observation and sophisticated computer modeling.