超新星核合成是阐明新的化学元素如何在超新星内产生，主要发生在易于爆炸的氧燃烧和硅燃烧的爆炸过程产生的核合成。这些融合反应创造的元素有硅、硫、氯、氩、钾、钙、钪、钛和铁峰顶元素：钒、铬、锰、铁、钴、镍。由于这些元素在每次的超新星爆炸中被抛出来，因此在星际介质中的丰度越来越大。重元素（比镍重的）主要是由所谓的r-过程捕获中子创造出来的。然而，还有其他的过程对某些元素的核合成有所贡献，像是著名的捕获质子的Rp-过程和导致光致蜕变过程的γ过程或p-过程。重元素中最轻的，中子最少的同位素，都是由后者的进程产生的。

Supernova nucleosynthesis is a theory of the production of many different chemical elements in supernova explosions, first advanced by Fred Hoyle in 1954. The nucleosynthesis, or fusion of lighter elements into heavier ones, occurs during explosive oxygen burning and silicon burning. Those fusion reactions create the elements silicon, sulfur, chlorine, argon, sodium, potassium, calcium, scandium, titanium and iron peak elements: vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel. These are called "primary elements", in that they can be fused from pure hydrogen and helium in massive stars. As a result of their ejection from supernovae, their abundances increase within the interstellar medium. Elements heavier than nickel are created primarily by a rapid capture of neutrons in a process called the r-process. However, these are much less abundant than the primary chemical elements. Other processes thought to be responsible for some of the nucleosynthesis of underabundant heavy elements, notably a proton capture process known as the rp-process and a photodisintegration process known as the gamma (or p) process. The latter synthesizes the lightest, most neutron-poor, isotopes of the heavy elements.