EVOLUTION OF STARS

AND THE FORMATION

OF HEAVIER ELEMENTS
ARTHUR EDDIN
GTON
 
In 1920, Arthur Eddington
 proposed that stars obtained
their energy from nuclear fusion
 of hydrogen to form helium and
also raised the possibility that the
heavier elements are produced in
stars.
Star formation theory states that stars are
formed when a dense region of molecular
cloud collapses. During this process,
fragments of clouds contract and form a
stellar core known as protostar.
 PROSTAR

a contracting
mass of gas
which
represents an
early stage in
the formation of
a star, before
nucleosynthesis
has begun.
In the core of a main sequence star, hydrogen
fuses with helium through proton-proton
chain.In addition, the gravitational force of a
main sequence star forces hydrogen and helium
to fuse resulting to burning of the 2 primordial
elements. Furthermore, at this stage, helium is
converted to carbon at the core while hydrogen
is converted into helium surrounding the core
which denotes the formation of red giant.
 RED GIANT
A red giant is a luminous 
giant star of low or
intermediate mass (roughly
0.3–8 solar masses (M☉)) in
a late phase of 
stellar evolution. The outer
atmosphere is inflated and
tenuous, making the radius
large and the surface
temperature around 5,000 K
(4,700 °C; 8,500 °F) or
lower. The appearance of
the red giant is from yellow-
white to reddish-orange,
including the spectral types
 K and M, sometimes G, but
also class S stars and most 
carbon stars.
Considering that the majority of helium
surrounding the core has been converted into
carbon, the rate of reaction will decrease causing
the gravitational force to act squeezing the entire
star. With low mass stars, considering that the
amount of energy is not enough to sustain the
reaction, and that the star’s fuel has been exhausted,
the outer material covering the star will eventually
be blown-off leaving an inert carbon core resulting
to the formation of white dwarf.
WHITE DWARF
A white dwarf is a 
stellar core remna
nt
 composed mostly
of 
electron-degenerat
e matter
. A white dwarf is
very dense: its
mass is
comparable to the 
Sun's, while its
volume is
comparable to the 
Earth’s
CROSS SECTION
OF A SUPERGIANT 
SHOWING
NUCLEOSYNTHESI
S AND ELEMENTS
FORMED.
 PIECES OF EVIDENCE
One remarkable evidence to support stellar
nucleosynthesis and star formation theory is the
discovery of interstellar dusts and gasses which
justifies the stages of stellar formation which are
happening across the universe. In addition, infrared
radiation being emitted in the process of stellar
formation serves as a strong indication that stellar
nucleosynthesis is a concurrent with stellar
formation and evolution.
 ATOMIC NUMBER AND
SYNTHESIS OF NEW ELEMENTS
Throughout history, scientist have been working
on a periodic organization of elements as to their
properties and to predict new elements. This is
because understanding the properties of these
known elements will provide them a pattern
which would help them discover new elements.
 HENRY GWYN JEFFREYS
MOSELY
an English chemist arranged the elements in the
periodic table by using atomic number as basis.
This allowed him to identify and predict any
element considering the number of protons which is
equal to the atomic number. In addition, he
emphasized that adding proton to an element
increases its atomic number and that new element
will be formed.
 A VERSION OF THE PERIODIC TABLE
INDICATING THE ORIGINS – INCLUDING
STELLAR NUCLEOSYNTHESIS – OF THE
ELEMENTS.
NUCLEAR REACTION
In this symbolic representing of
a nuclear reaction, lithium-6
 (6 3Li) and deuterium (2 1H)
react to form the highly excited
intermediate
nucleus 8 4Be which then
decays immediately into two 
alpha particles of helium-4
 (4 2He). Protons are
symbolically represented by red
spheres, and neutrons by blue
spheres.
PART OF 
CNO CYCLE
 DIAGRAM,
MADE JUST
TO BE
ILLUSTRATI
VE FOR
NUCLEAR
REACTIONS
IN
GENERAL.
 PROTON–
PROTON
CHAIN
REACTION
 CNO-I
CYCLE THE
HELIUM NUCLEUS
IS RELEASED AT
THE TOP-LEFT
STEP.
THANK YOU   

Prepared by :
JANINE M. GALVAN