Iron supernova nucleosynthesis

Unlike most supernovae, type Ia supernovae explode by runaway nuclear fusion, not mainly by core collapse. A hypernova may form either due to lack of nuclear fuel, the core of the star first collapsing to a neutron star, followed by a collapse to a black hole, or by pair instability leaving no dense remnant.

Supernova nucleosynthesis. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Supernova nucleosynthesis is a theory of the nucleosynthesis of the natural abundances of the chemical elements in supernova explosions, advanced as the nucleosynthesis of elements from carbon to nickel in massive stars by Fred Hoyle in 1954.

That uncertainty remains in the full description of core-collapse supernovae. Nuclear fusion reactions that produce elements heavier than iron absorb nuclear energy and are said to be endothermic reactions. When such reactions dominate, the internal temperature that supports the star's outer layers drops.

Massive Star Core at the Brink: Iron Core Collapse Iron core grows until its mas is about 1.2-1.4 Msun Collapses & begins to heat up Core temperature reaches T>10 Billion K & density ~1010g/cc At these temperatures, two important energy consumingprocesses kick in: Photodisintegration: