Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle

E75704

The Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle is a nuclear fusion process in stars, particularly massive ones, where hydrogen is converted into helium through a catalytic cycle involving carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen nuclei.

All labels observed (5)

Label Occurrences
Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle canonical 3
CNO cycle 3
CNO-I cycle 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf CNO cycle
hydrogen burning process
stellar nuclear fusion process
alsoKnownAs CNO cycle
carbon–nitrogen–oxygen cycle
betaDecayInvolves electron neutrino emission
positron emission
comparedWith proton–proton chain
conserves carbon-12 nucleus as a catalyst
converts hydrogen into helium
dependsOn metallicity of the star
describedIn stellar structure and evolution theory
dominantIn high-temperature stellar interiors
massive main-sequence stars
dominatesOver proton–proton chain in high-mass stars
energySourceFor massive stars
field astrophysics
nuclear physics
hasSubprocess CNO-I cycle
CNO-II cycle
CNO-III cycle
influences mass–luminosity relation for massive stars
stellar lifetimes of massive stars
involves carbon-12
carbon-13
nitrogen-13
nitrogen-14
nitrogen-15
oxygen-15
mechanismType catalytic cycle
namedAfter Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker
Hans Bethe
netEffect four protons fused into one helium-4 nucleus
release of energy via mass–energy conversion
occursIn stellar cores
partOf hydrogen burning in stars
stellar nucleosynthesis
produces gamma rays
helium-4
neutrinos
reactionOrder sequence of proton captures and beta decays
requires core temperatures above about 15 million kelvin
role explains energy generation in hot, massive stars
temperatureSensitivity strongly temperature dependent (approximately T^17 or higher in some regimes)
timePeriodOfDevelopment 1930s
usesAsCatalyst carbon nuclei
nitrogen nuclei
oxygen nuclei

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Hans Bethe notableWork Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
Hans Bethe notableWork Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
subject linked to: Bethe
Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle alsoKnownAs CNO cycle
linked to: Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle hasSubprocess CNO-I cycle
linked to: Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle hasSubprocess CNO-II cycle
linked to: Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle hasSubprocess CNO-III cycle
linked to: Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
Saiph dominantFusionProcess CNO cycle
linked to: Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
nitrogen-14 producedIn CNO cycle
linked to: Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle
nitrogen-14 producedIn Bethe–Weizsäcker cycle