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A trans-iron element is an element with an atomic number greater than 26, that of iron. Their origin is of interest because the usual processes that synthesize elements (the usual stellar nucleosynthesis) generally work up to iron from lighter elements but usually no further. Iron is the most stable element generally produced and further fusion of iron (and trans-iron elements) is highly limited: such fusion does not release energy, but saps it, which cools the material, which reduces fusion, thus such further fusion is severely limited. The r-process, an atypical type of nucleosynthesis that requires extreme circumstances, is presumed to be one mechanism that produces trans-iron elements.