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Chapter 04 of 5

R-Process and Supernovae

The violent birth of heavy metals like gold and uranium in cosmic cataclysms.

1. The Impasse

   The Iron Wall

   Once a star's core turns to iron, fusion consumes energy instead of creating it. The internal pressure vanishes, and gravity claims its prize.

2. Mechanism

   Core Collapse

   In a fraction of a second, an iron core the size of Earth collapses into a sphere just miles wide. This generates temperatures in the billions of degrees.

3. The Rebound

   Supernova Shockwaves

   The collapsing outer layers hit the ultra-dense core and bounce outward. This shockwave triggers the most violent synthesis in the cosmos.