Glossary term: Fusão de hidrogênio
Description: Fusão nuclear é o termo genérico para todas as reações nas quais núcleos atômicos mais leves colidem e se fundem para formar um ou mais núcleos atômicos mais pesados. Na astronomia, a fusão do hidrogênio é a reação de fusão nuclear que transforma núcleos de hidrogênio (cada um composto por um único próton) em núcleos de hélio-4 (cada um composto por dois prótons e dois nêutrons ligados entre si). O núcleo de hélio-4 tem uma massa menor do que a soma das massas dos prótons e nêutrons que o compõem. De acordo com a famosa fórmula de Einstein, E=mc2, essa diferença de massa corresponde a uma diferença de energia. À medida que os prótons e os nêutrons se fundem para formar hélio-4, a quantidade de energia correspondente a essa diferença é liberada. Dessa forma, a fusão do hidrogênio serve como fonte de energia para as chamadas estrelas da sequência principal, como o nosso Sol. Pelo menos por algum tempo, essas estrelas permanecem em um estado de equilíbrio: a quantidade de energia liberada pela fusão do hidrogênio em seus núcleos corresponde à energia que essas estrelas brilhantes emitem na forma de luz e outros tipos de radiação eletromagnética, bem como de partículas.
A fusão do hidrogênio ocorre por meio de várias etapas intermediárias. Para estrelas com massa igual ou inferior à do nosso Sol, ela ocorre por meio da chamada cadeia próton-próton (cadeia pp). Na versão mais simples dessa cadeia de reações, dois núcleos de hidrogênio (prótons) se fundem para formar núcleos de deutério (um próton e um nêutron cada), que então se fundem com um núcleo adicional de hidrogênio para formar hélio-3 (dois prótons e um nêutron). Dois desses núcleos de hélio-3 se fundem para produzir hélio-4 mais dois núcleos de hidrogênio restantes. Em estrelas com mais de cerca de 1,3 vezes a massa do nosso Sol, um processo alternativo chamado ciclo carbono-nitrogênio-oxigênio (CNO) torna-se a forma dominante de fusão do hidrogênio em hélio. Cientistas na Terra construíram máquinas para criar reações de fusão, na esperança de que, no futuro, isso possa se tornar uma forma viável de gerar energia. A fusão do hidrogênio ocorre não apenas nas estrelas, mas também aconteceu durante a fase inicial do Big Bang do nosso Universo.
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Term and definition status: The original definition of this term in English have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher The translation of this term and its definition is still awaiting approval
The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".
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In Other Languages
- Árabe: اندماج الهيدروجين
- Alemão: Wasserstoffbrennen
- Inglês: Hydrogen Fusion
- Francês: Fusion de l'hydrogène
- Italiano: Fusione di idrogeno
- Chinês Simplificado: 氢聚变
- Chinês Tradicional: 氫聚變
Related Diagrams
Stellar Evolution
Caption: This diagram shows the life cycle of stars of different masses. The mass of the different types of star increases from bottom to top with time going from left to right.
The life cycle of a star depends on its mass, with lower mass stars have longer lifetimes. All stars form from clouds of gas that collapse under their own gravity. As the star collapses, its core becomes hotter and denser. If the star has a mass greater than 0.08 solar masses (0.08 times the mass of the Sun), the pressure of the star’s mass pushing down on its core creates a high enough core temperature for hydrogen fusion to ignite. This burns hydrogen into helium in the star’s core, providing a heat source to power the star and to stop its core from collapsing further. If the collapsing object has a mass below 0.08 solar masses then it does not ignite hydrogen fusion in its core. It continues to cool and slowly contract. Such substellar objects are known as brown dwarfs, shown here in the lowest row.
After stars have formed, they burn hydrogen in their cores and begin their so-called main sequence phase. The most massive stars (>25 solar masses, shown here at the top) have very high core temperatures and thus burn through their hydrogen fuel more quickly. This means they may only spend a few million years on the main sequence burning hydrogen in their cores. Once the hydrogen in the core is exhausted the star’s core contracts, becomes hotter and helium burning starts in the core. While the core contracts, the outer layers of the star expand and it becomes a supergiant. For the most massive stars strong stellar winds strip off the cooler outer layers, leading to the star being very large and very hot, a blue supergiant. Once helium is exhausted in the core, carbon is burned, and then heavier elements. Eventually the star ends with an iron core. Fusing iron into heavier elements does not generate energy so at this point fusion stops in the core. Once this core of iron is massive enough, it and the surrounding matter suddenly collapses to form a black hole and the outer layers are flung off in a supernova explosion.
Slightly lower mass stars (between 8 and 25 solar masses, seen here second top) evolve in a similar way although they do not have strong enough winds to push their outer layers away and become blue supergiants, instead it evolves into a red supergiant. While such stars also collapse and create supernova explosions. The remnant of the star’s core is not massive enough to collapse into a black hole. Instead, its electrons and protons combine to form neutrons and it is supported by a quantum mechanical effect called neutron degeneracy pressure. This results in the remnant of the star being a tiny neutron star, several solar masses in mass but only a few kilometres across.
For stars similar in mass to the Sun (between 0.4 and 8 solar masses, seen here in the middle row), the star burns hydrogen in its core until the hydrogen in its core is exhausted. At this point a hydrogen burning shell forms around the core. Eventually the core will become hot enough to burn helium into carbon and oxygen. After this the star is left with a carbon and oxygen core surrounded by shells burning helium and hydrogen. These shells are unstable producing thermal pulsations that convulse the star. Eventually these pulsations become so extreme that the star’s outer layers are thrown off. This leaves the carbon and oxygen core as a white dwarf supported by electron degeneracy pressure. The outer layers of the star form what is known as a planetary nebula (which doesn’t actually have anything to do with planets despite the name).
The lowest mass stars (seen here in the second bottom row) are so low in mass that their evolutionary timescales are much longer than the age of the universe. This means that none have evolved beyond the main-sequence. Low mass stars are fully convective meaning material in the core is constantly being mixed with material above. This means that all the hydrogen in the star would eventually be burned in the core, but this will take trillions of years.
Credit: Danielle Futselaar/IAU OAE
License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons
