PHY lesson Plan Vocab:

Fusion- Combining elements. For example, a star uses fusion to fusion hydrogen and form
helium to fuel the star. This takes places in the deep center of the star.
https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve

“Fusion happens in the middle of stars, like the Sun. Hydrogen atoms are fused together to
make helium. This releases lots of energy. This energy powers the heat and light of the star. Not
all elements can be joined. Heavier elements are less easily joined than lighter ones. Iron (a
metal) cannot fuse with other atoms. This is what causes stars to die. Stars join all of their
atoms together to make heavier atoms of different types, until they start to make iron. The iron
nucleus cannot fuse with other nuclei. The reactions stop. The star eventually will cool down
and die.”
https://kids.kiddle.co/Nuclear_fusion

Below are 3 common examples of fusion reaction in a Star:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Fusion_in_the_Sun.svg&lang=en
Used in stars like our sun
- In this reaction 2 hydrogen protons are collided together which then produces large
amounts of energy causing there to be the production of a positron (anti-electron- same
mass as electron but different charge) and a neutrino (no mass, no charge, and little to
no interactions). This then creates one neutron and one proton.
- If this isotope runs into another Hydrogen it will produce energy in the form of light
through gamma rays and will produce Helium 3.
- If there is a collision between two Helium 3 it will result in a more stable helium 4 plus 2
protons of hydrogen flying off.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CNO_Cycle.svg

Used in stars slightly larger than the sun

- In this reaction Carbon will help the reaction happen but will be unchanged in the end.
- First, Carbon 12 will run into a proton and the proton will stick and energy will be
released in the form of a gamma ray (light).
 - Since there is a gain in a proton it now becomes Nitrogen 13 which is unstable so it will
decay very quickly and change one of those protons into a neutron. This causes the
release of a positron and a neutrino.
- We again pick up another proton of Hydrogen and realse that energy into gamma rays
(light). This creates Nitrogen 14.
- Then Nitrogen 14 picks up another proton and again prduces gamma rays and now
creates Oxygen 15 due to the extra proton.
- Oxygen 15 is unstable so it changes one of the protons into a neutron and causes the
creation of a positron and a neutrino. This creates Nitrogen 15.
- Lastly, Nitrogen 15 will pick up another Hydrogen proton and instead of it turning into
Oxygen 16, a Helium will break off and you will be left with a carbon 12 molecule just
like the one we started with.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Triple-Alpha_Process.svg

This reaction happens in the core of a Red Giant

- If 2 Helium nucleases collide in high temperature and pressure, they will produce
gamma rays (light) and will cause them to stick together to create a Be (Beryllium)
molecule.
- If you hit the Be molecule with one more Helium molecule that will create a carbon 12
molecule while producing gamma rays (light).
- This means that if you take 3 Helium’s and collide them it creates Carbon 12.
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram (H-R diagram)- takes the luminosity of the stars versus the
temperature of the star and plots them on a graph. This shows a clear pattern and groups for
the different stars. This is a periodic table for the stars. Stars will change over time so our sun
could change its position on the H-R diagram as time goes on.
https://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/stellar_ev/story/index3.html

Stellar Core- it is the center of the star and is extremely hot and dense. For a main sequence
star, the core is where there the fusion of hydrogen into helium happens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_core#CITEREFPradhanNahar2008

https://img-
aws.ehowcdn.com/877x500p/cpi.studiod.com/www_ehow_com/i.ehow.com/images/a04/gl
/m1/nuclear-fusion-stars-800x800.jpg?type=webp

Density- the amount of matter an object has compared to the volume the object has.
Density= M/V
https://kids.kiddle.co/Density#:~:text=Density%20is%20a%20measurement%20that,an
%20object%20by%20its%20volume.

Stellar Remnants- This is what a star leaves behind after the star has expired. The three main
ones are white dwarf, Neutron star, and black hole.
Neutrons- “a particle that has a mass nearly equal to that of the proton but no electrical charge
and that is present in all atomic nuclei except those of hydrogen” This is an important particle
that is involved with stars core, fusions, and the production of a seller remnant.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutron

Quarks- These make up Neutrons and Protons. There can be different types of quarks inside
different particles, like up quarks and down quarks. They are always in 3 packs and two packs,
so never alone. There are different properties with the different types of quarks. Up quark has a
charge of +2/3 and a Down quark has a charge of -1/3.

Supernova- This happens when a star’s core collapses and then the star explodes. The collapse
happens because of fusion. When fusion reactions happen that form elements heavier than
iron this reaction will consume energy and not produce it. This causes the star to no longer
support its own mass cause the energy is lost. After this the iron core will collapse and the star
will explode violently outward.
https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve