7 TH

INSTANCE
FROM THE RESONANCES OF ATOMIC NUCLEI
RESONANCE OF THE CARBON NUCLEUS

CARBON
• It is the basic building material for all life on planet earth.

• Carbon atom, with its four valence (outer) electrons, is uniquely suited
for bonding with other elements (especially oxygen, hydrogen, and
nitrogen) to create the complex molecules that support the processes of
life.
Problem: there was no known mechanism by which three
helium nuclei could simultaneously collide inside a star and fuse
to form a carbon nucleus and produce the abundance of carbon
in our universe.
• Ed Salpeter, an American astrophysicist, suggested that
perhaps carbon is formed in a rapid two-step process wherein
two helium nuclei could collide, forming an unstable beryllium
nucleus; however, it was so unstable that it could only exist for
less than a trillionth of a second.
• A 3rd helium nucleus just might collide with the beryllium
nucleus and form a carbon nucleus
Fred Hoyle
• Added the idea of the Nuclear Resonance
• The precise resonance of the carbon atom necessary for its multiple bonding
properties happens to coincide perfectly with the resonance of beryllium,
helium, and oxygen.
• The energy level of helium and beryllium inside a hot star was about 7.4
million electron volts (MeV). He then predicted the resonance level at 7.65
MeV, which was later on confirmed.
• The carbon resonance level is precisely adjusted to permit lifeforms to arise.
Any energy level other than the precise level of 7.65 MeV would make carbon
a rare trace element — and life in the universe would be impossible.
Fred Hoyle
• In addition, the internal details of the oxygen nucleus play a critical role:
 Oxygen can be formed by combining helium and carbon nuclei, but the
corresponding resonance level in the oxygen is half a percent too low for the
combination to stay together.
 If the resonance level in the carbon had been 4% lower = no carbon
 If the level in the oxygen had been only half a percent higher = all of the carbon
would be converted to oxygen.
Fred Hoyle’s discovery of the fine-tuning of the
nucleosynthesis of carbon is especially significant because
he actually devised a testable hypothesis that affirms the
validity of the anthropic principle.
The non-anthropic values of the resonance levels of carbon and
oxygen (a virtually open range) far exceed their anthropic values (a
narrow, closed range), making the occurrence of bondable carbon
exceedingly improbable.