Luke E.

asked • 09/18/19

How large does a star need to be for its supernova to produce element 115

How large does a star need to be for its supernova or hypernova / collapsar to produce super heavy elements like 115?

Also, how abundant are these stars in the universe?

Inactive Tutor

Heavier elements generated by supernova is done via neutron capture. Cannot get element 115 that way. Better odds with two neutron stars colliding.
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09/23/19

Luke E.

Cheers Michael!! I never thought about colliding neutron stars!! Thank you so much
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09/23/19

1 Expert Answer

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Inactive Tutor answered • 10/22/19

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For a star to go supernova, it needs to be 8-12 times bigger than our own sun. Our sun will never go supernova, it will become a red giant. When a star goes supernova, it's powerful enough to fuse protons together to create these heavier elements.


As for the abundance... I'm sure there is some formula out there somewhere, but I cannot locate that information from a reliable source.

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