Stellar energy from hydrogen fusion (CNO and pp chains)
Fuente de energía de las estrellas: fusión del hidrógeno
- Date
- 1939 · confidence high
- Place
- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States
- Credited to
- Hans Bethe, Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker
- People
- 👤 Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker1912–2007👤 Hans Bethe1906–2005
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
Bethe described the proton-proton and CNO chains by which hydrogen converts into helium, solving the problem of why the Sun shines for billions of years.
Eddington had suggested fusion in 1920.
What it led to
- Stellar nucleosynthesis
- Age of the Sun consistent with geology
- Solar neutrino physics
Built on
Made possible
- Stellar nucleosynthesis (B²FH)1957
- Stellar evolution models