Fusion reactions in red supergiants and supernovae create elements heavier than iron, such as gold, silver, and uranium. These elements form during the explosive deaths of massive stars, scattering their enriched stellar material into the cosmos. This process is essential for the formation of planets, life, and the diversity of elements in the universe.
Red Giants and black holes
Stars are expected to end up as white dwarves, neutron stars, or black holes. If you are interested in the stages before that (when the star still produces power), that include red giants, and supernovae.
A red giant's core is called a helium core. This is because as a red giant forms, the core of the star contracts and heats up, causing hydrogen fusion to transition to helium fusion.
Main sequence stars get their energy through nuclear fusion in their cores. This process involves the fusion of hydrogen atoms to form helium, releasing energy in the form of light and heat. The energy generated from nuclear fusion is what allows main sequence stars to balance the inward force of gravity with the outward pressure of the radiation created in the core.
Giants by far
Red Giants and black holes
A variety of different fusion reactions are possible. In our sun, which is classified as medium sized, it is fusion of hydrogen nuclei, ie protons, to form helium. In larger stars, especially red giants, larger nuclei react in fusion, so that larger and heavier nuclei get formed.
Fusion continues in red supergiants because their cores are able to fuse heavier elements such as helium into even heavier elements like carbon, neon, and oxygen. The high temperatures and pressures in the core allow nuclear fusion reactions to continue, powering the star and maintaining its equilibrium.
the fusion of hydrogen in a shell outside the cor
Super giants are more massive and have larger radii than giant stars. Super giants are in a more advanced stage of stellar evolution compared to giant stars. Both types of stars eventually exhaust their nuclear fuel and go on to evolve into other stages, such as supernovae or white dwarfs.
The four main types of stars are main sequence stars, red giants, white dwarfs, and supernovae. These types are classified based on their size, temperature, and stage of life.
Most medium mass stars such as our Sun DO become red giants. Smaller stars do not have enough mass to initiate helium fusion when the hydrogen supply begins to run low, and do not become red giants.
Stars are expected to end up as white dwarves, neutron stars, or black holes. If you are interested in the stages before that (when the star still produces power), that include red giants, and supernovae.
A red giant's core is called a helium core. This is because as a red giant forms, the core of the star contracts and heats up, causing hydrogen fusion to transition to helium fusion.
These are stars that have exhausted their core's supply of hydrogen by switching to a thermonuclear fusion made of hydrogen in a shell that surrounds the core.
Red giants expand because they have exhausted the hydrogen fuel in their cores and have started fusing helium. This helium fusion causes the outer layers of the star to swell and expand, making the star larger and cooler overall.
The lower limit on the mass of a star is determined by the need for sufficient gravitational pressure and temperature in its core to sustain nuclear fusion. Stars below a certain mass cannot generate enough pressure and temperature to ignite fusion reactions, making them brown dwarfs or failed stars.