Page 62 - The Creation Of The Universe
P. 62

60                  THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE






























                 Single-proton hydrogen nuclei  Helium nucleus with two protons and two
                                                neutrons

              THE CRITICAL REACTION IN THE SUN
              1) Above: Four hydrogen atoms in the Sun join together to form a single
              helium atom.
              2) Below: This is a two-step process. First two hydrogen atoms fuse form-
              ing a deuteron. This transformation is a slow one and is what keeps the
              Sun burning constantly.
              3) Opposite page: If the strong nuclear force were just a little bit stronger, a
              di-proton would be formed instead of a deuteron. Such a reaction however
              cannot be sustained for any length of time: a runaway catastrophic explo-
              sion would occur in just a few seconds.














                Single-proton hydrogen              Deuteron nucleus with one pro-
                       nuclei                            ton and one neutron
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