Re: Pre fusion explanation

[mccaslin@pscosf.peru.edu]

I believe it was Lord Kelvin that first did calculations on the 
possibility of gravitational contraction as the source of energy
in stars, and Sir Arthur Eddington who did detailed mathematical
analysis of stellar structure.

The first to propose that nuclear energy powered the stars was
Rutherford, and the story is that he did it at a talk attended
by Lord Kelvin.  It was George Gamov who proposed the C-N cycle.
He thought it was the mechanism in all stars, though we now know
it only applies in larger stars, and the p-p chain dominates
in smaller stars.  Willie Fowler was fairly recently awarded a
Nobel prize in physics for his career work in elaborating the
nuclear reactions that occur inside stars throughout their
evolution.

> Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 12:00:53 +1030
> From: scott johnston <johnston@kigateway.kin.on.net>
> Reply-To: phys-l@mailer.uwf.edu
> To: phys-l@atlantis.uwf.edu
> Subject: Pre fusion explanation
>
> I'm interested in the way in which the energy output from stars was
> explained before the notion of fusion was with us. Does anyone have any
> information on this and or the first person to propose fusion or fusion
> like reactions as the energy source for stars?