by Psnarf » Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:55 pm
I don't recall ever seeing ionized iron atoms imaged in infrared before. I know they're at the core of a star before going supernova, fusion of silicon atoms. Wonder where all that iron came from? The supernovae that formed the nebula, perhaps? I had to check my lecture notes, the layers of a pre-supernova star are hydrogen at the surface, helium, carbon, oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicon, and iron at the core. Each layer created from fusion reactions of the lighter layer above it.
I don't recall ever seeing ionized iron atoms imaged in infrared before. I know they're at the core of a star before going supernova, fusion of silicon atoms. Wonder where all that iron came from? The supernovae that formed the nebula, perhaps? I had to check my lecture notes, the layers of a pre-supernova star are hydrogen at the surface, helium, carbon, oxygen, neon, magnesium, silicon, and iron at the core. Each layer created from fusion reactions of the lighter layer above it.