"New Nuclear Data Exacerbates Heavy Element Quandary in Stars"

New experiments at CERN's neutron time-of-flight facility have revealed that cerium-140 is more likely to capture incoming neutrons than previously thought, widening the gap between theoretical predictions and observed abundances in certain stars. This discrepancy suggests a need for updated nucleosynthesis models and high-accuracy measurements of nuclear properties. The higher neutron-capture cross section of cerium-140 has implications for the abundances of heavier nuclei in the slow neutron-capture process, and it is possible that an alternative nucleosynthesis pathway, the i process, may be involved in the production of cerium in low-metallicity stars. Further nuclear measurements are needed to better understand these discrepancies and refine current models of nucleosynthesis.