rp-process

The rp-process (rapid proton capture process) consists of consecutive proton captures onto seed nuclei to produce heavier elements. It is a nucleosynthesis process and, along with the s-process and the r-process, may be responsible for the generation of many of the heavy elements present in the universe. However, it is notably different from the other processes mentioned in that it occurs on the proton-rich side of stability as opposed to on the neutron-rich side of stability.

The end point of the rp-process (the highest-mass element it can create) is not yet well established, but research shows that in neutron stars it will not progress beyond tellurium. The definitive endpoint is reached at 107Te because of instability toward alpha decay, and primarily photon-induced decay or (γ,α) reactions loop the path back onto itself. Therefore, an rp-process would only be able to produce nuclei with mass numbers up to 106 or 107. After this, further proton captures result in prompt proton emission or alpha emission, and thus the proton flux is consumed without yielding heavier elements; this end process is known as the tin–antimony–tellurium cycle, which that more recent source claims is not actually reached.

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