- #1
Bried
- 8
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Hello there,
I'm starting S382 astrophysics with the OU. The course book says "The proton-proton chain converts four hydrogen nuclei (protons) into a ^4_2He nucleus, two positrons that quickly collide with electrons and are annihilated, and two neutrinos. Hence, branch I of the p-p chain may be summarised as:
2e- + 4p goes to ^4_2He + 2v_e + 2gamma_pd + 4gamma_e "
I don't quite understand where all of the reactants and products are coming from. The 4p is obvious but the 2e^- I can only think are the two electrons that annihilate with the two positrons. If this is the case then should they really be included as part of the p-p I chain? What is also throwing me is the four gamma rays associated with electrons. Is this gamma ray a product of the electron-positron annihilation? If so why are there four? I would have thought there should only be two!
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Sorry about the layout. I would have used latex but I'm on my tablet and it won't work.
Thanks.
Brian
I'm starting S382 astrophysics with the OU. The course book says "The proton-proton chain converts four hydrogen nuclei (protons) into a ^4_2He nucleus, two positrons that quickly collide with electrons and are annihilated, and two neutrinos. Hence, branch I of the p-p chain may be summarised as:
2e- + 4p goes to ^4_2He + 2v_e + 2gamma_pd + 4gamma_e "
I don't quite understand where all of the reactants and products are coming from. The 4p is obvious but the 2e^- I can only think are the two electrons that annihilate with the two positrons. If this is the case then should they really be included as part of the p-p I chain? What is also throwing me is the four gamma rays associated with electrons. Is this gamma ray a product of the electron-positron annihilation? If so why are there four? I would have thought there should only be two!
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Sorry about the layout. I would have used latex but I'm on my tablet and it won't work.
Thanks.
Brian