<p>The pages you’re looking at describe fusion of two similar nuclei with each other (e.g. oxygen with oxygen).  But fusion doesn’t have to involve identical nuclei, and reactions involving more abundant nuclei will in general occur at a higher rate (though this can vary based on other factors, too).</p>
<p>Long before oxygen-oxygen or neon-neon reactions become important, reactions involving helium nuclei (also called “alpha particles”) take place.  That is what the text in your book is referring to: C + He gives O, and O + He gives Ne. See the list in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_process" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this Wikipedia article on the alpha process</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-25T12:56:50.983Z
2021-05-25T20:31:29.977Z
2021-05-25T20:31:29.977Z
Eric Jensen
<p>In the book &quot;Horizons_ exploring the universe-Cengage learning (2018)&quot;, p200, it states that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Helium fusion produces carbon, and some of the carbon nuclei absorb helium nuclei to form oxygen. A few of the oxygen nuclei can absorb helium nuclei and form neon and then magnesium.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But when I check Wikipedia for <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen-burning_process#:%7E:text=During%20the%20oxygen-burning%20process,proceed%20via%20the%20alpha%20process." rel="nofollow noreferrer">Oxygen-burning process</a>, there doesn't seem to have any steps that will produce Neon, but when I check for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-burning_process#:%7E:text=During%20helium%20fusion%2C%20stars%20build,helium%20burning%20moves%20gradually%20outward.&amp;text=The%20resulting%20carbon%20burning%20provides,restore%20the%20star%27s%20mechanical%20equilibrium." rel="nofollow noreferrer">Carbon-burning process</a>, two carbon-12 nuclei can fuse to a neon and helium nuclei, so is there an error in the book? Or there are other steps of oxygen burning that will produce neon?</p>

<star><stellar-evolution><nucleosynthesis>
Does Oxygen-burning process produce Neon?
Jack the Ranger
# Does Oxygen-burning process produce Neon?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-25)

In the book "Horizons\_ exploring the universe-Cengage learning (2018)", p200, it states that:

> Helium fusion produces carbon, and some of the carbon nuclei absorb helium nuclei to form oxygen. A few of the oxygen nuclei can absorb helium nuclei and form neon and then magnesium.

But when I check Wikipedia for [Oxygen-burning process](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen-burning_process#:%7E:text=During%20the%20oxygen-burning%20process,proceed%20via%20the%20alpha%20process.), there doesn't seem to have any steps that will produce Neon, but when I check for [Carbon-burning process](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon-burning_process#:%7E:text=During%20helium%20fusion%2C%20stars%20build,helium%20burning%20moves%20gradually%20outward.&text=The%20resulting%20carbon%20burning%20provides,restore%20the%20star%27s%20mechanical%20equilibrium.), two carbon-12 nuclei can fuse to a neon and helium nuclei, so is there an error in the book? Or there are other steps of oxygen burning that will produce neon?

**Tags:** star, stellar-evolution, nucleosynthesis


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-05-25. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

The pages you’re looking at describe fusion of two similar nuclei with each other (e.g. oxygen with oxygen). But fusion doesn’t have to involve identical nuclei, and reactions involving more abundant nuclei will in general occur at a higher rate (though this can vary based on other factors, too).

Long before oxygen-oxygen or neon-neon reactions become important, reactions involving helium nuclei (also called “alpha particles”) take place. That is what the text in your book is referring to: C + He gives O, and O + He gives Ne. See the list in [this Wikipedia article on the alpha process](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_process).


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