Nuclear Energy
By: Maddy Hatch, Jamie Riedle, and Alaine Ruggless
Nuclear Energy: Creation of Elements and New Elements
Big Bang Theory
Other initial elements formed
Supernovae- creation of 86 naturally occurring elements
Nuclear Reactions
Nuclear Fusion processes
Proton-proton fusion
Carbon Cycle fusion
Triple-alpha process
Main Sequence Stars
the energy from it is from the reaction called the proton-proton chain
Steps of the chain
Energy is freed during each step
Neutrino's
Protons
Photons
Proton-proton chain
Inside all main sequence stars less massive than 1.5 solar masses
Carbon Cycle
Inside all main sequence stars more massive than 1.5 solar masses
Carbon Cycle requires high temperatures
Temperature depends on which reaction happens
Energy from Stars
E=mc^2 explains mass in the star
Fusion of the 2 protons produces Helium
Creation of Larger Elements
Heat cause electrons to break away from the Nuclei
Core of star heats up
Absence of electrons
Helium nuclei fuse together
Phase Changes
All of the mass of a star is "used up"
Hydrogen ins used in larger elements
Star turns into a white dwarf, then a black dwarf
Particle Accelertor
Propels charged particles
Contain particles in well-defined beams
Invented in the 1930s
Increase energy of a beam or particles
Circle Accelerator
particles travel in a continuous circle
Linear accelerator
particles travel in a long copper tube
Klystrons
generate waves for a path for the particles
Particle Accelerators in the United States
Artificially created elements
First elements to be synthesized
Technetium, promethium, astatine, franciumAlso numbers 93 and above on the periodic tables
High atomic numbers have short half lives
Fusion and Bombardment of New Elements
bombardment using plutonium or uranium
Synthetic elements 101 and up
Created by fusion
Today's scientists and particle accelerators
methods have not changed greatly