Stellar Nucleosynthesis Quiz

Which process is responsible for the formation of elements heavier than iron?

What happens to the core of a massive star when its temperature exceeds 15 million Kelvin?

What is the difference between the s-process and the r-process?

Which of the following processes is responsible for the formation of elements heavier than beryllium up to iron?

What would you observe if you could run a video of the universe moving backward?

Which of the following processes involves the conversion of hydrogen to helium?

Which of the following processes involves the fusion of helium nuclei to form beryllium and carbon?

Which of the following processes involves the bombardment of molybdenum with a deuteron to form technetium?

Which of the following processes involves the collapse of an iron core in a massive star?

Which of the following processes is responsible for the formation of elements heavier than iron?

Stellar Nucleosynthesis

Responsible for producing heavy elements up to iron through nuclear fusion processes.
Involves elements such as carbon, neon, oxygen, and silicon, ultimately forming iron.
By-products of these reactions include nuclei such as 13N, 13C, 14N, 15O, and others.

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

The Big Bang theory describes the cosmic explosion that initiated the universe's formation and element creation.
Elements were formed through various nuclear reactions: fusion, fission, and radioactive decay.
Initially, light elements were synthesized during this event.

Supernova Nucleosynthesis

Occurs in massive stars (> 8 solar masses) as they undergo explosive endings.
After tiring out their nuclear fuel, they fuse heavier elements, leading to the creation of a diverse range of nuclei.

R-Process

"R" in the R-Process stands for Rapid.
During R-Process, neutron capture occurs faster than beta-decay, facilitating the creation of elements heavier than iron.

Triple-Alpha Process

Starts with the fusion of two helium nuclei, resulting in the formation of unstable beryllium-8.
Beryllium-8 can fuse with a helium nucleus to create carbon-12 due to a faster rate of beryllium-8 formation before decay.
This process triggers the alpha process, enabling the further synthesis of neon, oxygen, and silicon once carbon is present.

Stellar Evolution

Stars exhibit "onion-like" structures, characterized by layers of thermonuclear reactions.
As a star exhausts its nuclear fuel in one stage, it transitions to subsequent fuels to continue fusion and sustain life.

Test your knowledge on Stellar Nucleosynthesis, including Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Supernova Nucleosynthesis. Questions cover topics like the 'R' in the R-Process, the process of forming elements heavier than Iron, and the Triple-Alpha Process.