Which elements are fused in the successive, nested shells surrounding the core of a very massive red supergiant?
Answer
Carbon, neon, oxygen, and silicon.
For the most massive progenitors, the extreme core pressure and temperature achieved during contraction allow fusion to proceed beyond helium into heavier elements. This process builds an onion-like structure where increasingly heavier elements are fused in distinct, nested shells surrounding the inert core. These shells burn sequentially, starting with carbon, progressing through neon and oxygen, and eventually reaching silicon fusion, each stage burning hotter and faster than the last, sustaining the star's immense energy output.
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