How are chemical elements produced in our Universe? Where do heavy elements like gold and uranium come from? Using computer simulations, a research team from the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, together with colleagues from Belgium and Japan, shows that the synthesis of heavy elements is typical for certain black holes with orbiting matter accumulations, so-called accretion disks. The predicted abundance of the formed elements provides insight into which heavy elements need to be studied in future laboratories—such as the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), which is currently under construction—to unravel the origin of heavy elements. The results are published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.