nucleosynthesis

noun

nu·​cle·​o·​syn·​the·​sis ˌnü-klē-ō-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs How to pronounce nucleosynthesis (audio)
ˌnyü-
: the production of a chemical element from simpler nuclei (as of hydrogen) especially in a star
nucleosynthetic adjective

Examples of nucleosynthesis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Presolar grains like the one in the picture help researchers understand nucleosynthesis in stars, mixing of different zones in stars and stellar ejecta, and how abundances of elements and their isotopes change with time in the galaxy. Sachiko Amari, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2024 These supernova explosions generate reactions that fuse new atomic nuclei, a process called nucleosynthesis, of heavier elements. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 5 July 2024 Our earth contains a plethora of iron and rare earth metals that were created through stellar nucleosynthesis during billions of years of supernovae enrichment. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Those reactions then produce new atomic nuclei, a process known as nucleosynthesis. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024 Helium Helium’s origins go back to just a few minutes after the big bang, when hydrogen, helium and a bit of lithium were produced during what is called big bang nucleosynthesis. Sanjana Curtis, Scientific American, 4 July 2023 Driven by nucleosynthesis in stars, the three most abundant elements in the Universe after hydrogen and helium are oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, Walker writes. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2021 Deuterium’s creation was the first step in Big Bang nucleosynthesis, a sequence of nuclear reactions that occurred when the cosmos was a super hot but rapidly cooling soup of protons and neutrons. Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2020 Since then, observations of the cosmic microwave background have become increasingly precise, putting pressure on physicists who study Big Bang nucleosynthesis to match that precision — and so allow a comparison of the two epochs. Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2020

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1957, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nucleosynthesis was in 1957

Dictionary Entries Near nucleosynthesis

Cite this Entry

“Nucleosynthesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nucleosynthesis. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

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