A SEARCH FOR R-PROCESS ELEMENTS IN THE VELA SUPERNOVA REMNANT

After a description of recent developments in the physics of rapid neu tron capture in Type II supernovae and a discussion of the detectabili ty of supernovae ejecta, we present the data from a search for Ge, Kr, Yb, Os, and Hg in five stars behind or within the Vela remnant. Only Ge rr was detected, but its column density and the upper limits of the other species show no excess above the estimated contribution of ambi ent gas. Finally, we discuss the extent that clumping and the improved performance of the GHRS may make r-process ejecta from Vela detectabl e in the future.