An astrophysical process that creates elements heavier than iron may be even more challenging to reproduce in the laboratory than was previously believed – but not impossible. This is the conclusion of researchers at the Laboratoire pour l’Utilisation des Lasers Intenses (LULI) in France, who report that reproducing conditions typically seen during neutron-star mergers will require major improvements to both proton and neutron sources. This insight is crucial, they say, because it provides a more realistic framework for future efforts to replicate stellar processes.
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