This brings experts one step closer to understanding the process of how elements are produced in the universe.
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:05 Supernovae are some of the most energetic phenomena in our universe.
00:09 So what if one were to occur on Earth?
00:11 Well, Science Alert reports a team of scientists from the University of Surrey in the UK
00:15 have been able to recreate the process of a star going supernova in a lab.
00:19 The researchers observed the supernova process by probing an accelerated beam of radioactive ions,
00:25 creating the proton capture process that is supposed to happen within a star
00:29 when it undergoes a core collapse supernova.
00:31 Researchers use what's called the isotope separator and accelerator Mark II,
00:35 creating a radioactively charged stream of rubidium 83 atoms.
00:39 When probed, they found this process produced P-nucleus strontium 84,
00:43 which is evidence of the theorized star gamma process model being true.
00:47 In that process, atoms are able to grab onto loose protons
00:50 during a particularly energetic event like a supernova.
00:53 And as it gathers more protons, the elements become whatever is next up on the periodic table,
00:57 as elements are determined by how many protons they have.
01:00 It's pretty amazing science, and gets us one step closer to understanding
01:03 these stellar cosmic bodies and how they work.
01:06 [music]