PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Stellar Nucleosynthesis
and the Formation of
Heavy Elements
….and there was light.
BIG BANG!

After Big Bang, the universe continued to expand. The clouds of gas floating are
made of clouds of hydrogen and helium, which are left over from supernovas.

Matter started to form lumps, and some of which clumped together and formed
galaxies.
FORMATION OF GALAXIES
protogalaxy refers to a
galaxy that is
experiencing its first
generation of star
formation

These clumped matters are called protogalaxies (also called primeval galaxy, is a
cloud of gas which is forming into a galaxy). Inside these protogalaxies, the internal
lumps collapsed due to gravitational forces.
 The correct saying is...

"the greater the mass the greater the force of

attraction?"
Newton's law of
universal gravitation

Isaac Newton
 As the formation of new nuclei continue from

WHAT IS THE the big bang nucleosynthesis, the mass of the

newly formed nuclei increases.
RELATION OF
GRAVITY IN With the increasing mass, the gravitational
force also increases which then resulted to
THE the heating of internal lumps.

CREATION OF From the heated temperature of these

GALAXIES? internal lumps, it then initiated another

nuclear fusion involving two protons (from
an Hydrogen atom) producing Helium and
tremendous amount of energy which then
caused the shining of a new star.
STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
The production of nuclei heavier than hydrogen
in stars is called stellar nucleosynthesis.

Stellar nucleosynthesis is the process by which

elements are created within stars by combining
the protons and neutrons together from the nuclei
of lighter elements.

All of the atoms in the universe began as

hydrogen. Fusion inside stars transforms
hydrogen into helium, heat, and radiation.
Heavier elements are created in different types
of stars as they die or explode.
CAN A STAR CONSUME ALL OF THE
HYDROGEN INSIDE IT'S CORE?
 YES!!
When hydrogen in the core of a star is depleted, the core of
the star shrinks, and the core temperature rises. When the
temperature is high enough, helium fusion becomes
possible, and the heavier carbon nucleus is formed.
STELLAR NUCLEOSYSNTHESIS OF
THREE HELIUMS
Depending in the mass of the
star this series of fusion
reactions in the core followed
by shrinking and temperature
rise that trigger more fusion
takes place successively
forming elements.

triple alpha process in which

carbon is formed from three
helium-4 nuclei (alpha
particles).
PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS
CONTINUATION OF STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
INVOLVING ALPHA PARTICLES.
1. Carbon plus helium produces __________.
The alpha process then
2. Oxygen plus helium produces _________.
combines helium with
3. Neon plus helium produces ___________.
carbon to produce
4. Magnesium plus helium produces ______. heavier elements, but
5. Silicon plus helium produces __________. only those with an even

6. Sulfur plus helium produces ___________. number of protons

7. Argon plus helium produces ___________.

8. Calcium plus helium produces _________.
9. Titanium plus helium produces _________.
10.Chromium plus helium produces _______.
 WHY DOES STELLAR NUCLEO-
SYNTHESIS STOP ON IRON?
In stars more massive that about
ten solar masses, the successive
burning to produce heavier nuclei
eventually produces a nonburning
core of iron

Iron-56 and other nuclei with mass number of 56 are stable nuclei and their fusion
with a helium nucleus would require energy instead of producing it. As a result,
stellar nuclear burning stops at iron.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A STAR STOPS
PRODUCING ENERGY?
With no further production of energy at the core the gravitational forces take over and
the core collapses, quickly and catastrophically initiates a supernova and a blackhole.
IF A STAR COLLAPSES WHAT HAPPENS
NEXT?
The massive star that ends up as supernovas are manufacturers of elements
heavier than iron.

These heavier elements like gold, silver, lead and mercury require the very special
conditions of pressure and heat that exist inside a supernova during those few
seconds of the collapse. Supernovas are also distributors of the elements in the
universe because during the explosion, all the elements that have been formed are
flung into space.

Our own Sun and the planets in the solar system were formed from the debris of
earlier stars that have run through their life cycles. Since then, the Sun shines and the
cycle will continue!
 FUN? FACT!

Did you know?

Astronomers estimate that the sun has about 7 billion to 8 billion years left before
it sputters out and dies.

The sun won't become a supernova nor a black hole because it is not massive enough.
Our sun needs to be 10 times of its own mass to be able to become a supernova.
-NASA 2021
 ASSIGNMENT
Timeline of Element Discovery Reporting Radium's main practical use has been
117 Element discoveries - 28 Timespans in medicine, producing radon gas
from radium chloride to be used in
Example: Radium (1898) radiotherapy for cancer
(ray·dee·uhm) Significance of Element Discovery

Periodic Table Element Properties Discoverer Information Image of Element