Here is a question for the scientist, or perhaps I should say astronomer.

Apparently heavy stars much more massive than the sun are known to end their lives in supernova explosions.

There are at least two different types of such objects, being called Type I and Type II supernovae, respectively.

There may be some confusion around. There may be some speculation that some Type I supernovas are in fact ordinary novas which are attaining a very high luminosity. Also the distance may be a factor here when it comes to their actual visibility.

Buth definitely some of these objects are single stars which choose to blow themselves apart because of instabilities in their central cores.

The reason for this happening apparently is the fusion of silicon into iron, a process which is unstable and immediately leads to a uncontrolled chain reaction which leads to the end of the star.

But during the course of the cataclysmic explosion which follows the start of this process, a fusion process shortly is running and able to make or produce most or all of the natural elements heavier than iron, including iron as well, up to uranium.

If we assume that the heaviest fusion is taking part in the innermost part of the star, closest to the core and that different fusion processes may also take place in shells at different layers or parts of the star, is it possible to determine which percentage of the star, assuming the part of it that is closer to the surface, gets blown out into space and which part remains in the dying part which is assumed to become either a neutron star or possibly a black hole?

We definitely find everything from hydrogen through uranium here on earth. The elements being found here that are heavier than iron and possibly including iron as well came from or originated from stars which ended their lives even before the sun was even born.

Is it possible to determine that the remnant of a supernova explosion may contain the same combination of elements as the part of it that eventually became thrown out into space, or is it more likely to assume that the remnant more likely is containing what previously were the heavier elements, at least those heavier than hydrogen and helium and possibly only light and moderately heavy elements including iron, but not those of hydrogen and helium.

If someone is able to conclude that iron is included as part of this process, I would appreciate the explanation given for this.

Thank you for answers.

The fusion into heavier elements, occurs as a result of the blast wave, and not in the core. Iron is the final step in core fusion, and it formation signals the death of the star.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
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Thanks for your reply, SciManStev.

If I remember it correctly, the detonation of a hydrogen bomb (but not the ordinary fission bombs being tested out at Alamagordo, New Mexico, before being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki) is being called a thermonuclear device.

The fusion process which leads to the detonation of such a hydrogen bomb is quite similar to that of the process which makes fusion possible in the central core of the sun. In a supernova explosion, such a process when first initiated by means of the fusion of heavy elements into even heavier ones, becomes a totally uncontrolled one and leads to the total destruction of the entire star.

Only its central core is left. Therefore one may assume that the remnants of the star, now either a neutron star or a black hole is consisting of those elements which were heavy but because of pressure and possible temperature are not those elements anymore, but rather a compact mass of neutrons and elementary particles which are highly compressed.

Possibly we will never now the exact composition of a black hole, despite the assumption that it is consisting of matter rather than being represented by means of pure energy.

We assume gravity is the main factor associated with at least black holes, but the way such objects becomes something completely different is a fascinating story and really hard to fully understand.

Anyway, by means of reading through this, I was able to make the conclusion that the remnant of the supernova only is consisting of matter which once were part of the heavier elements which became products of the fusion process before such a star ended its life in such an event.

Thanks, SciManStev.

You made me better understand a couple of things.

Gravity is a result of the presence of mass.

Mass and matter are to me synonymous with each other when it comes to its meaning or definition.

Apparently matter is present in several different states or conditions.

It may be fast or solid, liquid, gas and the rare form of matter (which is not related to those exotic objects in space) but for now I am lost when it comes to its word.

The sun is a gaseous object, at least on its surface. Because it is both much larger than the earth, as well as having much more mass as well, the gravity on the surface of the sun is much larger than here on earth. Therefore you are supposed to be weighing much more there than here.

Also the escape velocity, or the speed needed in order to be able to travel away from the sun is much higher than what is needed in order to have an object escape the gravity of the earth.

Even the moon is having gravity on its surface despite having no atmosphere. Gravity is the result of an invisible force which either is related to some unknown particle, or it rather may be regarded as being represented by means of a field which is supposed to be bending space.

Gravity is the winner of everything. It also is known to be bending time. Therefore it is the ultimate force since the superforce, if it ever existed, now is long gone.