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Production of Neon in Stars

Nature volume 191, pages 1381–1382 (1961)Cite this article

Abstract

WE have recently made certain measurements of the properties of some levels in neon-20 which are related to the production of neon in stars. In particular we have shown that the 4.97-MeV. level has odd parity and J = 2. Consequently neon-20 cannot be formed through this level by thermonuclear reactions between helium and oxygen-16 as has been suggested to explain its production in stellar interiors after the hydrogen has been consumed1,2. The suggestion arose from the close proximity of the 4.97-MeV. level in neon-20 to the energy of oxygen-16 + α as shown in Fig. 1. For the level to be effective the parity would have to be (−)J where J is the total angular momentum.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., Chalk River, Ontario

    H. E. GOVE, A. E. LITHERLAND & M. A. CLARK

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  1. H. E. GOVE
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  2. A. E. LITHERLAND
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  3. M. A. CLARK
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GOVE, H., LITHERLAND, A. & CLARK, M. Production of Neon in Stars. Nature 191, 1381–1382 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/1911381b0

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