Proto Proton Fusion

Stars, just like our sun, have been undergoing nuclear processes ever since their birth. Initially thought to be a great ball of fire by ancient astronomers (Cain and Cain, 2009), a fundamental process known as nuclear fusion is the sole workhorse behind the life of a sun. This process produces immense amounts of energy comprising of light and heat which, for our sun, essentially sustains life on earth (BBC, 2016). The various nuclear fusion processes along with experiments will be discussed highlighting the processes in various stars.
Nuclear fusion is a continuous process which occurs within all stars. Nuclei can combine which results in larger elements. Depending on the age and mass, the energy may originate from either proton-proton fusion, …show more content…
This process is typical for stars with lower core temperatures (Nave, 2016). The process begins with the fusion of two protons. Initially it was though that the low temperature that exists within the sun would prevent the fusion from overcoming the coulomb barrier. However, with the further development of quantum mechanics, there existed the possibility of tunnelling which allowed the two protons to fuse. The second step involves the transmutation of one of the protons to a neutron along with an antielectron and a neutrino, forming deuterium. The deuterium is produced by the weak interaction in a quark transformation that converts a proton to a neutron. Thirdly, deuterium collides again with another proton resulting in two protons and one neutron (Helium-3). Two of the resulting helium nuclei fuse together, which results in an alpha particle (2 neutrons, 2 protons) and the release of two protons. This paves the way for a repeating process. Many of these reactions produce neutrinos though a vast amount of neutrino flux is produced from the original proton-proton …show more content…
In this, a series of chain reactions occurs where hydrogen turns into helium with carbon acting as a catalyst. The process begins with Carbon-12 along with the addition of a proton forming Nitrogen-13, where one of the protons decays with the emission of a positron and a neutrino forming Carbon-13. Nitrogen-14 and Oxygen-15 are than formed with further protons additions. Another neutron decay results in Nitrogen-15 leading to a final proton capture which produces Oxygen-16. Oxygen-16 than emits an energetic alpha particle that produces Carbon-12, paving way for a repeating process (Swinburne, n.d). It is important to note that the final reaction (alpha particle emission) is the main source of energy in the cycle. Since carbon has 6 positive charges from its 6 protons, this process is only possible at higher temperatures when compared to the proton-proton cycle. The well-known star, Sirius, undergoes carbon fusion which has a radius of 1.19x106 km and a mass of 4.02x1030 kg whereas our sun is 6.96x105 km and 1.99x1030 kg respectively. The mass of Sirius is roughly 2 times that of our sun and has a core temperature of 25 million Kelvin, which is hypothesised by the relation between size and the nuclear cycle occurring within each star (Seligman,

Show More

Related Documents: Proto Proton Fusion

WORD ROOTS Essay