Explain the Process That Occurs in the Sun's Core

Nuclear Fusion

• The process that occurs in the sun̵7;s core is actually a series of smaller reactions that contribute to the process of nuclear fusion. In this process, multiple hydrogen atoms combine at high temperatures to slowly create multiple helium atoms, in addition to gamma rays. The heat and light generated by the sun are actually the side effects of this process, since the process of fusion releases huge amounts of energy and light, both visible (sunlight) and invisible (ultraviolet rays).

The First Reaction

• Fusion in the sun̵7;s core begins when two hydrogen protons combine, creating what is called a deuteron. This is still an isotope of hydrogen, which means it is a stable molecule. This reaction also creates a positron, which is a positively charged particle of antimatter. This positron is quickly destroyed once it encounters a free electron, producing two gamma ray photons. Finally, this process produces a neutrino, an elementary particle that carries no charge and passes through matter, including Earth.

Becoming Helium

• The deuteron created in the initial reaction then reacts with another proton, this time producing a helium nucleus with three protons. This process also creates another gamma ray photon. The first two sets of reactions take place in a relatively short period of time, and a massive amount of these occur each second. This is not the end of the reaction, however, as the helium nucleus will seek out another to form what is called an alpha particle.

Alpha Particles and Gamma Photons

• The final stage of the fusion process involves two helium nuclei combining into an alpha particle. This stage takes much longer than the earlier reactions, as it can take up to 10,000 years for the two nuclei to find each other. The final outcome of the reactions in the sun̵7;s core produces six gamma ray photons, which are converted to millions of photons of visible light after traveling through the layers surrounding the core.