Sun's Fusion Reaction: Neutrons or Neutrinos? Exploring the Production of Helium

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In summary, the principal fusion reaction in the sun is the proton-proton (pp) chain reaction, which also produces neutrinos. While some fusion reactions in the sun, such as the CNO-process, also produce neutrinos, they do not produce free neutrons. However, heavier elements fused in the sun, such as carbon, do produce neutrons, but these reactions require very high temperatures beyond those found in the sun. Overall, neutrinos are the main product emitted from the sun.
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spideyinspace
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does the fusion reaction in sun produce neutrons or neutrinos? i read websites of which one is saying neutron is produced but the other one says neutrino is produced..which one is correct..what other things would be produced when hydrogen fuses to produce helium in the core of sun?
 
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The principal fusion reaction in the sun is the proton-proton (pp) chain reaction.

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/energy/ppchain.html

some fusion takes place by the CNO-process
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/energy/cno-pp.html
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/procyc.html

Neutrinos are produced in both reactions. It is possible that there are some p,n reactions which would produce neutrons, but that is not fusion.

See also -

zebu.uoregon.edu/~rayfrey/321/lecture5.pdf

http://star-www.dur.ac.uk/~afont/collision.html [Broken]

http://www.columbia.edu/~ah297/unesa/sun/sun-chapter4.html [Broken]
 
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  • #3
Astronuc said:
The principal fusion reaction in the sun is the proton-proton (pp) chain reaction.

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/energy/ppchain.html

some fusion takes place by the CNO-process
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/energy/cno-pp.html
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/astro/procyc.html

Neutrinos are produced in both reactions. It is possible that there are some p,n reactions which would produce neutrons, but that is not fusion.

See also -

zebu.uoregon.edu/~rayfrey/321/lecture5.pdf

http://star-www.dur.ac.uk/~afont/collision.html [Broken]

http://www.columbia.edu/~ah297/unesa/sun/sun-chapter4.html [Broken]

Thank you for all useful information...you said that some p,n reactions produce neutrons...can you give some information on that...i also found some fusion reactions in the lecture pdf which gives neutron..e.g 12c+12c gives 23Mg+n and 16O+16O gives 31S + n..so when some heavier elements than hydrogen and helium fuses, they do give out neutrons...so neutrons are also emitted from Sun..is this correct..what i mean is, which one is emitted from sun,neutrinos or neutrons?
 
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  • #4
12c+12c gives 23Mg+n and 16O+16O gives 31S + n..so when some heavier elements than hydrogen and helium fuses, they do give out neutrons
require very high temperatures beyound those in the sun. Fusion of carbon is well beyond He fusion.

The p,n reaction has a fairly large energy threshold, particularly for light elements. I don't think n-production is significant in the sun. Certainly neutrino production is significant and neutrinos are emitted from the sun.
 
  • #5
One way to write the pp reaction is [itex]6\;^1H \to ^4He + 2\;^1H + 2\beta + 2\gamma + 2\nu[/itex]. The helium-4 nucleus contains two neutrons. So in a sense, the proton-proton chain reaction process in the sun does create neutrons, but they are not free neutrons. They are instead bound with protons in the form of helium-4 nuclei.
 

What is the Sun's fusion reaction?

The Sun's fusion reaction is the process by which the Sun produces energy. It involves the fusion of hydrogen atoms to form helium, releasing large amounts of energy in the process.

What are neutrons and neutrinos?

Neutrons and neutrinos are subatomic particles. Neutrons have no electric charge and are found in the nucleus of atoms, while neutrinos have a very small mass and interact only weakly with other particles.

Which is produced in the Sun's fusion reaction: neutrons or neutrinos?

Both neutrons and neutrinos are produced in the Sun's fusion reaction. However, neutrinos are produced in much larger quantities because they are not affected by the strong nuclear force, which is responsible for holding the nucleus of an atom together.

How does the production of helium contribute to the Sun's energy?

The production of helium in the Sun's fusion reaction releases a large amount of energy in the form of gamma rays. This energy is then converted into heat and light, which is what makes the Sun shine.

Why is understanding the production of helium important for scientists?

Understanding the production of helium is important for scientists because it helps us to understand the processes that power the Sun and other stars. It also has implications for our understanding of nuclear reactions and the formation of elements in the universe.

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