/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.7563254]

Are there stars that fuse transuranic elements, or is that only formed in higher energy events like supernovae?

[Anonymous No.7563292]

Bumping once

[Anonymous No.7563328]

>>7563254
Fusing elements heavier than iron requires more energy than is produced. If a star ever got its core hot, heavy-atom-saturated, and dense enough to fuse such elements, it would cool until it ceased to fuse them.

Also, because heavier elements are largely harder to fuse, as the core becomes depleted of hydrogen and other light elements it also becomes colder due to decreased rate of fusion.

The net result is that essentially the only conditions under which a star could possibly fuse elements heavier than iron are those which directly lead to supernova formation, as the decreasing rate of fusion due to iron buildup causes the core to contract and finally collapse, which occurs in seconds.

So a star which could sustain iron fusion for much longer before dying is likely impossible. Possibly it could occur in the accretion disks of quasars consuming high-metallicity stars.

Because uranium is heavier than iron, stars survivably fusing transuranic elements is even less likely than transferric elements.

[Anonymous No.7563334]

>>7563328

Incredibly excellent answer. Not OP, just had to say it. Wish I knew someone so knowledgable in person.