Forming The Elements

Article View: net.astro.expert

Article #87

#87

From: K. A. Dahlke
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1985 14:11

19 lines
1460 bytes

< H He C N O Si Fe >
	A recent scientific American article (May i believe)
described the explosion of a super nova.
This fascinating article gave a simplified scenario of stellar evolution,
burning hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon,
and finally producing iron.
Paraphrasing: "Once a central core of iron is produced,
reactions cannot continue.  Larger nuclei exist, but their formation
is not favored.  Iron is the lowest energy nucleus."
My question is, how did the other elements form;
especially those above iron?
Are intermediate elements produced by radioactive decay of iron, silicon, etc?
Are higher elements produced in very small quantity, due to equilibrium
reactions in the stellar core, similar to N2+3h2 <> 2NH3?
Gold atoms must have come from somewhere, and I don't believe in a creator.
Any help appreciated.
-- 
Is it time to go home yet?
Karl Dahlke    ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad

Technical Details

Message-ID: <243@ihnet.UUCP>

Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad

Show Full Headers

Complete Article Headers

Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihnet.UUCP
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad
From: eklhad@ihnet.UUCP (K. A. Dahlke)
Newsgroups: net.astro.expert
Subject: Forming The Elements
Message-ID: <243@ihnet.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Jun-85 10:11:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihnet.243
Posted: Thu Jun 27 10:11:19 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Jun-85 02:09:40 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 19