Simplified picture of the Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen
fusion cycle
University of Oregon
The Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen Fusion Cycle
When the temperature of the core of a star reaches about 16 million
kelvins
the production of Helium occurs through another fusion cycle,
called the Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen (CNO) cycle. Here Carbon acts as
a catalyst, it participates in the reaction but it is not "burned".
The cycle involves a total of four protons that react one after the
other with the heavy nucleus (Carbon first). After the first reaction
Carbon is turned into Nitrogen, then Oxygen is produced that finally
decays back into Carbon emitting an alpha particle (Helium
nucleus). During the cycle two neutrinos, three photons and two
antielectrons are also emitted. The antielectrons will annihilate with
electrons producing two more photons.
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