Open your PHYSCI book on pp. 8-10.

You will be given five minutes to

browse today’s lesson before the
discussion starts.
BISMUTH
R
ARGON
FLUORINE
MANGANESE
 ?
Y
OXYGEN
CARBON
“Every atom in your body was once inside
a star that exploded. The atoms in your
left hand probably came from a different
star than in your right hand, because 200
million stars have exploded to make up
the atoms in your body.”
-Lawrence Krauss
What is alpha process?
• It is also known as alpha capture or the alpha
ladder. It is one of two classes of nuclear fusion
reactions by which stars convert helium into
heavier elements.
• One type of process is called Triple-alpha
process which consumes only helium and
produces carbon.
Why is helium called alpha particles?
• An alpha particles is identical to the
nucleus of a normal (atomic mass four)
helium atom.
• An alpha particle consists of two protons
and two neutrons, so it is actually a helium
nucleus.
• The process in which three helium nuclei (alpha particles)
are transformed into carbon.
12
6 C +
4
2 He 16
8 O
16
8 O +4
2 He 20
10 Ne
20
10 Ne + 2He
4 24
12 Mg
24
12 Mg +4
2 He 28
14 Si
28
14 Si + 2He
4 32
16 S
32
16 S +
4
2 He 36
18 Ar
36
18 Ar + 2He
4 40
20 Ca
40
20 Ca + 2He
4 44
22 Ti
44
22 Ti + 2He
4 48
24 Cr
48
24 Cr + 2He
4 52
26 Fe
12
6 C + 16
8 O 28
14 Si
28
14 Si + 28
14 Si 52
26 Fe +
4
2 He
 Conclusion
Elements starting from He
up to Fe were the only
elements that can be
formed within stars
through Stellar
Nucleosynthesis.
R-process vs. S-process
• R-process or the rapid neutron-
capture process of stellar
nucleosynthesis is called for to
explain the production of the
stable neutron-rich nuclides
heavier than iron that are
observed in stars of various
metallicities.
• S-process or the slow neutron-
capture process, is a series of
reactions in nuclear
astrophysics that occur in stars
particularly asymptotic giant
branch stars.
• It requires pre-existing heavy
isotopes as seed nuclei to be
converted into other heavy
nuclei by a slow sequence.