Unraveling Nucleosynthesis in the Multi-messenger Era

Over half the heavy elements with A > 100 are synthesized via the rapid neutron capture process. While it is now believed that some of the r-process elements that we see on Earth originate in neutron star mergers, the complete picture is still lacking. We review some recent progress in connecting nuclear physics and astrophysics and the implications of this progress for our understanding of the origin of the heaviest elements.