My research aims to provide answers to the many concerns surrounding the rapid neutron-capture processes. These are the main mechanisms through which elements heavier than iron are formed in our Universe. The location of the r-process is yet unknown, but the most plausible possibilities are core-collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers due to the necessary conditions of high neutron density and high temperature. In these sites direct observations of the elements' productions are extremely challenging. For this reason, I infer the abundances of second-generation metal-poor stars to gain a deeper understanding of the properties of the r-process in our Universe.
About 14 billion years ago, the Universe began with the Big Bang. A few minutes later, hydrogen, helium, and traces of lithium were formed during the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. However, the Universe expanded and cooled, leading to the end of this process after 20 minutes. Where, when, and how were the remaining elements of the periodic table produced?
