Question

The burning of this element occurs as the very brief final stage of nuclear fusion in post-main-sequence stars. For 10 points each:
[10h] Name this element whose fusion leads eventually to an iron core. Type Ia (“one-A”) supernovae are distinguished from type Ib and type Ic supernovae by the presence of a strong absorption band at 615 nanometers corresponding to this element.
ANSWER: silicon [or Si; accept silicon burning or silicon fusion]
[10e] In silicon burning, silicon nuclei successively fuse with these particles. Photodisintegration of these particles produces two protons and two neutrons, since they are equivalent to helium-4 nuclei.
ANSWER: alpha particles [or alpha rays or alpha radiation]
[10m] After fusion stops, mechanisms like photodisintegration and electron capture remove degeneracy pressure support for the star, accelerating this process. Type Ia supernovae uniquely do not result from this process.
ANSWER: core collapse [accept core-collapse supernova; prompt on collapse]
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Summary

Data

Berkeley AStanford C10101030
Berkeley CStanford B10101030
Berkeley BStanford A10101030
BinghamtonCornell A010010
Cornell BCornell C010010
RIT BRIT A010010
UNC D (DII)Duke A (UG)0101020
UNC B (UG)GWU A (UG)10101030
Virginia C (UG)GWU B (Grad)0101020
Iowa StateMinnesota B0101020
Minnesota CArizona State0000
Maryland A (Grad)Liberty A (Grad)0101020
Virginia B (UG)Liberty C (DII)010010
Maryland C (DII)JMU B (UG)010010
Liberty B (DII)Roanoke College A (DII)010010
JMU A (UG)Virginia A (UG)010010
William & Mary A (UG)UNC A (Grad)0000
Rice AClaremont A010010
Iowa ASorbonne010010
Iowa BTexas A&M B0101020
Texas A&M ATexas A010010
UBC AAppalachian State0101020
Columbia BVassar10101030
John JayColumbia C0101020
Columbia AJohns Hopkins10101030
PennHaverford0101020
NYU BRowan0000
Cambridge BCambridge C10101030
Oxford BKiel010010
EdinburghOxford A0101020
Imperial BKCL010010