The origin of the heavy elements
About half of the elements heavier than iron are forged by the rapid neutron-capture, or r-process. HEAVYMETAL is an ERC Synergy project bringing together observation, atomic physics, hydrodynamic simulation and nuclear physics to discover how it works.
Our approach
Four complementary research threads, one consortium.
Observation
Tracking the optical and infrared light from neutron star mergers, identifying the spectral signatures of newly synthesised heavy elements in the kilonova.
Laboratory atomic physics
Measuring photoabsorption cross-sections and electron-impact rates for heavy elements in the laboratory, providing the atomic data needed to interpret kilonova spectra.
Simulation
Modelling the dynamics of neutron star mergers and the subsequent expansion of ejecta, predicting the conditions under which heavy elements are forged.
Theoretical atomic physics
Calculating photoionisation cross-sections, line strengths and electron-impact excitation rates for heavy elements using the R-matrix method, providing the theoretical atomic data needed to interpret kilonova spectra.
Recent HEAVYMETAL papers
Dougan, David J. et al., A generalized darc RMPS approach for the electron-impact ionization and excitation of C i from ground and excited states, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 2026.
Pieterse, Daniëlle L. A. et al., GRB 210704A: a luminous fast blue transient in a GRB afterglow at z=2.34, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2026.
Giuliani, Samuel A. et al., Impact of nuclear masses on r-process nucleosynthesis: Bulk properties versus shell effects, Physical Review C, 2026.