CNO Cycle

FusionProcess in which two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier atomic nucleus. Very high temperatures are normally required in order for atomic nuclei to collide with sufficient energy to overcome the Coulomb barrier (their mutual electrostatic repulsions). Fusion that occurs under high-temperature conditions is called thermonuclear fusion. Fusion process in stars contaminated by “metals,” specifically carbonElement commonly found in meteorites, it occurs in several structural forms (polymorphs). All polymorphs are shown to the left with * indicating that it been found in meteorites and impact structures: a. diamond*; b. graphite*; c. lonsdalite*; d. buckminsterfullerene* (C60); e. C540; f. C70; g. amorphous carbon; h. carbon nanotube*. (C), nitrogenPrincipal constituent of the Earth’s atmosphere (78.08 vol. % at ground level). Nitrogen is the fifth most abundant element in the universe by atom abundance. Nitrogen comprises only 3.5 vol. % of the atmosphere of Venus and 2.7 vol. % of Mars’s atmosphere. Nitrogen has two isotopes: N (99.632 %) and N (N), and oxygenElement that makes up 20.95 vol. % of the Earth's atmosphere at ground level, 89 wt. % of seawater and 46.6 wt. % (94 vol. %) of Earth's crust. It appears to be the third most abundant element in the universe (after H and He), but has an abundance only (O). The two branches of the CNO process cycle through a sequence that converts the elements carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen into each other’s isotopes. The first cycle (shown) starts and ends with ¹²C, which may be considered a catalystChemicals that are not consumed in a reaction, but, which speed up the reaction rate. Catalysts aid to form a transition state which is lower in energy than the transition state without the catalyst (essentially decreasing activation energy). Since the barrier to the reaction is lower, the reaction rate increases. For abundances characteristic of the SunOur parent star. The structure of Sun's interior is the result of the hydrostatic equilibrium between gravity and the pressure of the gas. The interior consists of three shells: the core, radiative region, and convective region. Image source: http://eclipse99.nasa.gov/pages/SunActiv.html. The core is the hot, dense central region in which the, the CNO cycle becomes important for coreIn the context of planetary formation, the core is the central region of a large differentiated asteroid, planet or moon and made up of denser materials than the surrounding mantle and crust. For example, the cores of the Earth, the terrestrial planets and differentiated asteroids are rich in metallic iron-nickel. temperatures of roughly 15 million degrees (1.3 keV), and it provides virtually all of the conversion of ¹H into ⁴He above 25 million degrees (2.2 keV).