Abstract

Our understanding of r-process formation has undergone a paradigm shift in recent years. Multiple lines of evidence point towards mergers of binary neutron stars as the dominant channel of r-process formation. I will present considerations based on Galactic binary neutron stars, ultra-faint dwarf galaxy data, gamma-ray bursts, very metal poor Galactic halo stars, and radioactivity stable and unstable element abundance data. I will discuss implications for future GW and EM observations.