Fission of r-process elements

Nuclear fission involves the splitting of heavy nuclei in to lighter fragments. In the context of heavy element nucleosynthesis via rapid neutron capture (the r-process), fission is thought to act as the terminating mechanism preventing the formation of ever more heavy nuclei. In this talk, will provide an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of fission models. I will also cover the role that fission plays in the r-process and recent observational constraints that suggest fission is operating in the cosmos.