The first periodic table published by D. I. Mendelejeev in 1869 based on atomic masses and had empty positions that paved the way for the discovery of several new elements. With the discovery of Pu by Glenn Seaborg as a transuranium element a worldwide race for synthesis of new elements started, mostly at LBNL (Berkeley, USA) and JINR (Dubna, Russia), later also at GSI (Darmstadt, Germany) and...
The question of the origin of the elements of the Mendeleev table has triggered many lively discussions in the first part of the twentieth century. Some researchers thought that all the elements were produced during the early phase of the evolution of the Universe, while others had the opinion that the stars were the cauldrons in which all the nuclear cooking occurred. I shall explain why...
The build-up of elements up to Fe in stars is governed by fusion reactions in stellar burning stages. The sequence of burning stages is led by the principle that ashes of the previous stage become the fuel of the following one. After the depletion of one fuel, not permitting anymore to make up for the continuing radiation losses which make stars shining, contraction sets in, leading to a...
