Californium-254 and Supernovae
Abstract
It is suggested that the spontaneous fission of Cf254 with a half-life of 55 days is responsible for the form of the decay light-curves of supernovae of Type I which have an exponential form with a half-life of 55 nights. The way in which Cf254 may be synthesized in a supernova outburst, and reasons why the energy released by its decay may dominate all others are discussed. The presence of Tc in red giant stars and of Cf in Type I supernovae appears to be observational evidence that neutron capture processes on both a slow and a fast time-scale have been necessary to synthesize the heavy elements in their observed cosmic abundances.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review
- Pub Date:
- September 1956
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRev.103.1145
- Bibcode:
- 1956PhRv..103.1145B