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Proton-Proton Fusion
This is the nuclear fusion process which fuels the Sun and other stars which
have core temperatures less than 15 million Kelvin. A reaction cycle yields
about 25 MeV of energy.

Index

Some details of the nuclear reactions involved

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Proton-Proton Cycle
The fusion of hydrogen in lower temperature stars like our Sun involve the
following reactions yielding positrons, neutrinos, and gamma rays.

The solar neutrino problem Index

which can be followed by either

The latter of these reactions is part of what is usually called the proton-proton

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cycle, which yields about 25 MeV and can be combined to the form

Illustration of proton-proton cycle

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Step 1. Proton Fusion

The fusing of two protons
which is the first step of the
proton-proton cycle created
great problems for early
theorists because they
recognized that the interior
temperature of the sun
(some 14 million Kelvins)
would not provide nearly Index
enough energy to overcome
the coulomb barrier of
electric repulsion between
two protons.

With the development of quantum mechanics, it was realized that on this scale
the protons must be considered to have wave properties and that there was the
possibility of tunneling through the coulomb barrier.

Proton-proton cycle

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Eddington and his fusion critics Index

Arthur Eddington thought that nuclear processes must be involved to account

for the radiant energy of the sun, but was criticized because the temperature
was seen to be not hot enough when considered by classical physics alone.

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His tongue-in-cheek reply to his critics: "I am aware that many critics
consider the stars are not hot enough. The critics lay themselves open to an
obvious retort; we tell them to go and find a hotter place."

Proton-proton cycle

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Step 2. Deuterium formation

The second step of the

proton-proton cycle . This
step involves the weak
interaction because it
involves the transmutation
of one of the protons to a
neutron in order to form
deuterium. This process
requires energy and
produces a positron and an
electron neutrino.
Index

In the proton-proton fusion process, deuterium is

produced by the weak interaction in a quark
transformation which converts one of the protons to
a neutron. The neutrinos quickly escape the sun,
requiring only about 2 seconds to exit the sun
compared to perhaps a million years for a photon to
traverse from the center to the surface of the sun.
The neutrino flux can be calculated, but earlier
measurements of the neutrino flux measured only
about a third of the expected number. This is called
the solar neutrino problem. It is now presumed to
be solved with the evidence for neutrino oscillation
at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory and at the
Super Kamiokande neutrino detector.
Proton-proton cycle

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Step 3. Deuterium-proton fusion

The third step of the Index

proton-proton cycle .

Proton-proton cycle

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Step 4. Helium-3 fusion

Index
The fourth step
of the proton-
proton cycle .

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Proton-proton cycle

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Step 5. Alpha particle formation

The fifth step of the proton-

proton cycle . Alpha
particles are the end product Index
of the proton-proton fusion
cycle. They are formed by
the fusion of two helium-3
nuclei.

Proton-proton cycle

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