How Heavy Elements Formed?

After the Bigbang nucleosynthesis only lighter elements was formed. In order to
create heavier elements, nuclear fusion is needed. But order to do nuclear fusion, the
lighter elements must be in the right place were heat and pressure is present to combine
it. The only thing in the universe can do that is the stars.
Stellar nucleosynthesis is a process of creating new element inside the star.
Stars born in the stellar nebula where it is full of hydrogen and dust. Because of
gravity it combines hydrogen making it into helium, resulting in nuclear fusion that make
the star born and emitting its light.
Throughout its life, the star was battling its gravity. Using hydrogen as a fuel, star
continues to release energy by combining hydrogen into helium with the process called
nuclear fusion. This balance of forces continues until the star loses all of its hydrogen.
When the star losses its hydrogen, it uses helium as a fuel releasing a larger energy,
making the star larger as before. Depending of its mass of the star in the first place, the
average star just like to our sun it becomes red giant, and the larger star that we called
blue giant becomes red supergiant. In this stage, new elements are created.
In red giant star, new heavy elements such as Beryllium, Carbon and Oxygen are
created. Red giants star are continues to grow until its outer layer getting loose and it
doesn’t have any fuel to sustain. Resulting it to become planetary nebula and leaves a
very hot core called white dwarf.
On the other hand, red supergiant, new heavier element like Neon, Silicon to Iron
was created. This process continues until the star loses all of its fuel and explodes. The
explosion called supernova. Supernova considered as a biggest explosion in the universe
known to man.
Other element like heavier than iron like copper, silver and gold are formed during
the supernova. Because of its enormous explosion it created enormous heat to create
heavier elements than iron through the process called neutron capture.