Nucleosynthesis

Nucleosynthesis is a family of techniques and processes implemented towards the controlled creation of atomic nuclei by inducing nuclear reactions. Unlike natural nucleosynthesis, which occurs in astrophysical environments such as stars, supernovae or during the Big Bang, artificial nucleosynthesis involves human-made conditions in laboratories, nuclear reactors, and particle accelerators to produce synthetic elements. The primary goal of this technique is to create elements that do not occur naturally or to generate isotopes for use in various applications, such as medical treatments, energy production, and materials science.

Although older variants (including nuclear fission and fusion) are still in widespread use, more modern, efficient and accurate techniques now include neutron capture and r-process, its p-process equivalent, ion beam synthesis and anti-alpha/beta decay.