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    Lesson 1: Stellar Nucleosynthesis: Rise of The Stars!

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    Darlene De Paz
    1) Stellar nucleosynthesis is the process by which elements are formed in stars through nuclear fusion reactions. Elements like carbon were formed as stars fused hydrogen and helium in their cores. 2) Average stars undergo the proton-proton chain reaction to fuse hydrogen into helium, while more massive stars use the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle. 3) As stars age and evolve, they fuse heavier elements through processes like the tri-alpha reaction and alpha ladder process, eventually producing elements up to iron. Supernovae then disperse these heavier elements into space.

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    Lesson 1: Stellar Nucleosynthesis: Rise of The Stars!

    Uploaded by

    Darlene De Paz
    4K views10 pages
    1) Stellar nucleosynthesis is the process by which elements are formed in stars through nuclear fusion reactions. Elements like carbon were formed as stars fused hydrogen and helium in their cores. 2) Average stars undergo the proton-proton chain reaction to fuse hydrogen into helium, while more massive stars use the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle. 3) As stars age and evolve, they fuse heavier elements through processes like the tri-alpha reaction and alpha ladder process, eventually producing elements up to iron. Supernovae then disperse these heavier elements into space.

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    STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

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    STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

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    1) Stellar nucleosynthesis is the process by which elements are formed in stars through nuclear fusion reactions. Elements like carbon were formed as stars fused hydrogen and helium in their cores. 2) Average stars undergo the proton-proton chain reaction to fuse hydrogen into helium, while more massive stars use the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle. 3) As stars age and evolve, they fuse heavier elements through processes like the tri-alpha reaction and alpha ladder process, eventually producing elements up to iron. Supernovae then disperse these heavier elements into space.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    4K views10 pages

    Lesson 1: Stellar Nucleosynthesis: Rise of The Stars!

    Uploaded by

    Darlene De Paz
    1) Stellar nucleosynthesis is the process by which elements are formed in stars through nuclear fusion reactions. Elements like carbon were formed as stars fused hydrogen and helium in their cores. 2) Average stars undergo the proton-proton chain reaction to fuse hydrogen into helium, while more massive stars use the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle. 3) As stars age and evolve, they fuse heavier elements through processes like the tri-alpha reaction and alpha ladder process, eventually producing elements up to iron. Supernovae then disperse these heavier elements into space.

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    LESSON 1: STELLAR

    NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
    RISE OF THE STARS!
    Hydrogen and Helium
    STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

    • The word “stellar” means star and the formation of elements in the center of
    the star is called stellar nucleosynthesis. Carl Sagan said that “We are made of
    star stuff.”
    AVERAGE STAR

    • 1. The star is unable to generate heat when it runs out of hydrogen in its core leading to its
    contraction and expansion. It cools down and glows red. The Helium fused into Carbon. The
    star is now RED GIANT
    • 2. Red giant star becomes exhausted of nuclear fuel, the outer material is blown off into
    space leaving the inert Carbon. The remnant is known as WHITE DWARF.
    • 3. Giant cloud of gas and dust known as NEBULA.
    • 4. It is formed from nebula due to the gravity that pulled Hydrogen gas together until it spins
    faster and faster and becomes ignited. A PROTOSTAR rises.
    • 5. MAIN SEQUENCE STAR starts to form when nuclear fusion occurs at the core of the star, it
    begins to contract, glow and become stable. Hydrogen is converted into Helium. 6. This is said
    to be the remain of the white dwarf that cooled down and no longer emits light and heat.
    The hypothetical BLACK DWARF.
    MASSIVE STAR

    • 1. It is believed that a NEUTRON STAR is formed from supernova explosion. This is also the
    smallest star
    • 2. Explosion of star or SUPERNOVA releases large amount of energy. Because of that,
    elements are dispersed into the space.
    • 3. BLACK HOLE is a region in space where gravity is too strong that no matter can escape from
    it.
    • 4. A more massive main sequence star evolves, cools and expands faster than low mass star
    and will turn into RED SUPER GIANT star, the largest known star. Carbon fusion still occurs
    and Oxygen formed
    HOW STARS ARE FORMED?
    • Proton-Proton Chain Reaction
    • CNO Cycle
    • Tri-alpha process
    PROTON-PROTON CHAIN REACTION

    • The diagram shows the


    Proton-Proton Chain
    reaction in main sequence
    star. This is the process by
    which average star gets
    their energy and convert
    Hydrogen into Helium. It
    starts with proton and
    neutron fused together to
    form deuterium. When one
    proton collides with
    deuterium, Helium-3 is
    formed. Two Helium-3
    collided will form Helium-4.
    CNO (CARBON, NITROGEN, OXYGEN) CYCLE
    • Case is different in massive star or
    star eight times larger than solar
    mass. They undergo CNO (Carbon,
    Nitrogen, Oxygen) cycle to convert
    Hydrogen into Helium. You can see at
    the right how Carbon 12 fused with
    proton (H) and form Nitrogen-13.
    Nitrogen-13 undergoes beta decay to
    form Carbon-13. Carbon13 captures
    proton (H) and Nitrogen 14 is formed.
    Nitrogen 14 captures proton and
    Oxygen-15 is produced. Oxygen-15
    undergoes beta decay and produces
    Nitrogen-15. Nitrogen-15 fused with
    proton gives off Helium and ends up
    with Carbon-12. Then the process
    repeats again.
    TRI-ALPHA PROCESS
    • Tri alpha process happens
    in red giant star once they
    leave the stage of main
    sequence star. This is how
    three Helium-4 are
    converted into Carbon.
    • A star accumulates more
    mass and continues to grow
    into red super giant. Alpha
    particle fusion happens at
    its core and creates more
    heavy elements until Iron.
    This is known as the Alpha
    ladder process.

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