Stellar nucleosynthesis

Stellar nucleosynthesis is the formation of chemical elements through nuclear reactions inside stars. It includes fusion in stellar interiors and neutron-capture processes during stellar evolution and explosions.

Proton–proton chain: A sequence of nuclear reactions that fuses hydrogen into helium in stars. It supplies most of the Sun’s energy and begins the stellar fusion sequence.
Nuclear binding energy: The energy required to separate an atomic nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons. Its variation across nuclei determines which stellar fusion reactions release energy.
B2FH paper: A 1957 review by Margaret Burbidge, Geoffrey Burbidge, William Fowler, and Fred Hoyle on the origin of elements in stars. It organized the major stellar production pathways into a modern account of element origins.
Spectroscopy: The study of matter and processes through the wavelengths and intensities of emitted or absorbed radiation. Stellar spectra reveal which elements and isotopes are present at a star’s surface.
Stellar evolution: The changes in a star’s structure and behavior over its lifetime. A star’s changing temperature and density open successive nucleosynthesis stages.
CNO cycle: A catalytic cycle that converts hydrogen into helium using carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen nuclei. It dominates hydrogen fusion in sufficiently hot, massive stellar cores.
Strong nuclear force: The fundamental interaction that binds protons and neutrons within atomic nuclei. It overcomes proton repulsion at short range and makes stellar fusion products stable.
Geoffrey Burbidge: An English astronomer who helped develop the theory of stellar element formation. His collaboration on B2FH helped establish how stars synthesize elements.
Metallicity: In astronomy, the fraction of a star’s material made of elements heavier than helium. Metallicity records enrichment by earlier generations of stellar nucleosynthesis.
Supernova: A luminous stellar explosion that can occur when a star collapses or undergoes a thermonuclear disruption. Explosions eject newly synthesized elements into the surrounding interstellar medium.

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