s-process

English

Etymology

The s stands for slow.

Noun

s-process (plural s-processes)

1. (nuclear physics, astrophysics) the relatively slow nucleosynthesis process, in giant stars, in which neutron capture synthesizes elements up to atomic mass number 210 (at which point alpha decay becomes a deterrent to further building).

Synonyms

• slow neutron-capture process

Coordinate terms

• r-process