My understanding is that that was the conventional wisdom for a long time but that recently the view has shifted to their being created mostly by neutron star collision explosions and by supernovae but to a lesser degree (lesser amount of the overall mass produced for each element)mathman said:I am under the impression that the heavy elements are produced in supernova explosions.
A neutron star is a highly dense, compact star that is formed from the core of a massive star after it goes supernova. It is composed almost entirely of neutrons and has a diameter of only about 20 kilometers.
Gold is formed in neutron stars through a process called rapid neutron capture, or the r-process. This occurs when free neutrons are bombarded with other particles, causing them to rapidly combine and form heavier elements, including gold.
While the r-process does produce gold in neutron stars, it is still uncertain if there is enough gold present in these stars to be mined. Some studies suggest that there may be small amounts of gold in neutron stars, but it is not yet known if it is economically feasible to extract it.
The debate about the existence of gold in neutron stars stems from the fact that it is difficult to observe and study these stars due to their extreme density and distance from Earth. Scientists are still working to gather more data and evidence to confirm the presence of gold in neutron stars.
If gold is found in large enough quantities in neutron stars, it could have significant implications for our understanding of the universe and the origins of heavy elements. It could also potentially open up new avenues for mining and resource acquisition in space.