ORNL Scientists produce signature nuclear reaction on neutron star surface

Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have produced a signature nuclear reaction that occurs on the surface of a neutron star ingesting mass from a companion star. The achievement will improve understanding of the processes that generate diverse nuclear isotopes in the swirling masses of gases and matter surrounding neutron stars. Neutron stars are among the most dense and bizarrely structured objects in the universe. Made up of the densest matter known, these stars have immense gravitational pull that can capture hydrogen and helium from a nearby star, causing the material to accumulate on the neutron star surface until it ignites in repeated explosions that create new chemical elements.