What happens to these heavy elements when the star explodes?

Stars fuse hydrogen and helium into heavier elements such as oxygen, carbon, and iron, but the remaining elements are forged in the heart of supernova explosions. The blasts cast these heavy elements into the universe, enriching the galaxy for the next stellar generation.

What happens in the core of a massive star just before it goes supernova?

Just before core-collapse, the interior of a massive star looks a little like an onion, with shells of successively lighter elements burning around an iron core. Up until this stage, the enormous mass of the star has been supported against gravity by the energy released in fusing lighter elements into heavier ones.

What nuclear reaction occurs in supernova and is responsible for the formation of heavy elements?

Nuclear fusion of heavy elements (absorbing energy) occurs in the extremely high-energy conditions of supernova explosions. Nuclear fusion in stars and supernovae is the primary process by which new natural elements are created. It is this reaction that is harnessed in fusion power.

What is the heaviest element produced in a supernova?

Q: Since the heaviest element produced by nuclear fusion is iron, how are elements like gold and uranium formed?

How do heavier elements form?

Some of the heavier elements in the periodic table are created when pairs of neutron stars collide cataclysmically and explode, researchers have shown for the first time. Light elements like hydrogen and helium formed during the big bang, and those up to iron are made by fusion in the cores of stars.

What happens in a core collapse supernova?

The collapse of the inner core is halted by neutron degeneracy, causing the implosion to rebound and bounce outward. The energy of this expanding shock wave is sufficient to disrupt the overlying stellar material and accelerate it to escape velocity, forming a supernova explosion.

How does a supernova completely destroy a star?

A supernova does not completely destroy a star. Supernovae are the most violent explosions in the universe. Rather, when a star explodes into a supernova, its core survives. The reason for this is that the explosion is caused by a gravitational rebound effect and not by a chemical reaction, as explained by NASA.

How do supernovae create heavy elements?

When a star’s core runs out of hydrogen, the star begins to die out. During a supernova, the star releases very large amounts of energy as well as neutrons, which allows elements heavier than iron, such as uranium and gold, to be produced. In the supernova explosion, all of these elements are expelled out into space.

How does a star’s core collapse?

The core of the star, about the size of earth, collapses until neutron degeneracy pressure can balance that of gravity.