Mass measurements among stable and unstable nuclei using the Canadian Penning trap mass spectrometer

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The formation of the elements that make up our universe, from the remnants of the big bang that created it, continues to be a fascinating conundrum. While some success has been achieved in the explanation of the production of the light isotopes the mechanisms responsible for the production of the bulk of the heavier elements are still not clear. Calculations based on normal, quietly burning stars do not reproduce the observed abundances for the elements in the universe today. It is thought that at least part of the production of these elements took place during explosive astrophysical events (supernovae and x-ray bursts etc.) that are powered by nuclear reactions among short-lived, radioactive nuclides at the limits of nuclear binding. The atomic masses of these nuclei are essential to understanding these processes because they determine the energy released and determine the path of the nuclear reaction chains that take place in these events.