Skip to main content

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

7
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ Well you are looking for a somehow very fine distinction. I would call it stars stuff anyway. Normally the synthesis up to iron is explained has due to fusion in inner core of stable or going to collapse stars. Heavier elements are thought to form upon supernova explosion due to the very high energy of the ejecta (plus other mechanism such as capture which should less related to supernova). It seems reasonable that light elements could form as you said, as for the supernova inputs energy to the remaining external shells which still contain H He etc. Just to discuss because I am not sure... $\endgroup$
    – Alchimista
    Commented Jan 12, 2019 at 10:52
  • 7
    $\begingroup$ @Alchimista you expect me to take the word of an alchimista on nucleosynthesis? ;-) $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Jan 12, 2019 at 10:55
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Many elements are made by the s-process and distributed by AGB stars that aren't collapsing, and which will never go supernova. See astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/8894/… for details. And let's not forget the triple alpha process and the CNO cycle. $\endgroup$
    – PM 2Ring
    Commented Jan 12, 2019 at 11:26
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ @uhoh :)) yes forget everything goes to gold $\endgroup$
    – Alchimista
    Commented Jan 12, 2019 at 11:55
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Yes, most everyday stuff is from normal fusion in smaller stars ejected as planetary nebula or heavier stuff made in supernovas. The two exceptions are heavy elements like gold, that emerge from neutron star mergers (still starstuff) and beryllium and boron, that are mostly spallation. And some primordial hydrogen, helium and lithium, of course. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 12, 2019 at 11:56