How is the fuel burning structure inside the core of a massive star described after the main sequence phase?
Answer
Concentric shells of burning fuel, resembling an onion structure
Massive stars, unlike sun-like stars, progress through multiple stages of fusion following hydrogen exhaustion. Because the required ignition temperatures increase dramatically for each subsequent element, the fusion reactions occur in distinct, layered zones centered around the core. After helium fusion, the core contracts until carbon ignites, creating a shell of carbon burning outside the new core. This continues sequentially through neon, oxygen, and silicon fusion, resulting in a structure analogous to an onion, where different elements are fusing in distinct, concentric shells.
Related Questions
What cosmic abundance percentages did Big Bang Nucleosynthesis establish for Hydrogen and Helium by mass?What is the primary energy-generating reaction sustaining a main-sequence star's luminosity for billions of years?What fundamental characteristic defines the Iron (Fe) core boundary regarding energy production in stellar nucleosynthesis?What unstable isotope must temporarily exist for sun-like stars to execute the triple-alpha process creating carbon and oxygen?How is the fuel burning structure inside the core of a massive star described after the main sequence phase?Which stellar environment is responsible for the slow process (s-process) creating isotopes up to bismuth (Bi)?Which elements are specifically cited as primary products manufactured through the rapid neutron capture (r-process)?What mass threshold, relative to the Sun, is typically required for a star to achieve core temperatures needed to forge iron?What is the energy characteristic associated with fusing elements lighter than iron during stellar nucleosynthesis?Where are elements heavier than iron (Fe) primarily manufactured, given core fusion's energetic limitations?