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Starting from Scratch: The Rise and Fate of Carbon Atoms
Author(s) -
Cintas Pedro
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.200500179
Subject(s) - nucleosynthesis , carbon fibers , thermonuclear fusion , stars , carbon star , helium , astrophysics , white dwarf , physics , materials science , atomic physics , nuclear physics , plasma , composite number , composite material
Made from stars : Not in a metaphorical sense, organic compounds come from the stars. Carbon is generated from helium (see scheme) by a thermonuclear process called the triple‐α reaction at temperatures as high as 10 8 –10 9 K, but how long does it take? Recent findings suggest that carbon formation may proceed faster at lower temperatures. If true, carbon nucleosynthesis, star evolution, and perhaps life could have occurred on short timescales.