An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A → nucleosynthesis process in which
→ chemical elements heavier than → zinc are created through the intense bombardment of other elements by → neutrons in rapid succession. The essential feature of the r-process is the release of great numbers of neutrons in a very short time (less than 100 seconds). The r-process is a “rapid” version of the → s-process, occurring in supernova → core collapse and possibly when a → neutron star merges with a → black hole in a → binary star.

See also: r stands for rapid, since the process entails a succession of rapid neutron captures on iron seed nuclei; → process.