Stellar nucleosynthesis is the set of nuclear processes that build new atomic nuclei inside stars and during stellar explosions. Nucleosynthesis explains the origin of the chemical elements, connects stellar evolution to Galactic chemical enrichment, and allows element ratios to reconstruct the history of star formation and explosions.
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Stellar nucleosynthesis is the set of nuclear processes that build new atomic nuclei inside stars and during stellar explosions.
supportedFusion of light nuclei releases energy while product nuclei become more tightly bound up to the iron region.
supportedStellar spectra reveal abundance patterns predicted by nuclear networks, meteorites contain isotopic signatures of different processes, supernova remnants show freshly synthesized elements, and observations of old stars preserve chemical fingerprints from earlier stellar generations.