I get they need more energy than a “regular” star can provide, up to iron. That two stars colliding can provide the energy. And more neutrons in the nucleus offset the protons repelling each other.
No s-capture or whatever language please, I’m looking for small words & drawings w/ crayons.
How do heavy elements form beyond iron, why is it so hard to make the packing of protons/neutrons so hard? What role do electrons play, aside from the negative charge for protons (if any)?
In: 7
Well, you gave the answer yourself. Through neutron star collisions. They have enough energy to overcome electron degeneracy. You might ask how, given that such fusions don’t release net energy. You’re right, they don’t. But neutron star collisions are one-time events, they don’t need to sustain a positive fusion pressure like stars do.
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