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Interesting discussion.
Regarding the core of the sun, is there data about what it consists of, how dense is the material?
I read somewhere the sun may have a metal core. Is that right? I thought metals were high up on the table of elements and would not sustain fusion easily.
My understanding of stars is that elemental hydrogen is the most abundant element. That it forms in clumps and accumulates together through gravity. With gravity and more material it forms pressure. With pressure comes heat. When enough of the hydrogen is dense enough the pressure forms enough heat to initiate fusion of the elemental hydrogen up the table of elements. Obviously then higher forms of elements do not require all the energy binding lesser elements and the left over is what the fusion reaction releases as heat and radiation.
I wonder how dense the core is and how much mass it has to have to start that reaction. Also even elemental hydrogen under that much pressure - is it still a gas or is it a semi or actual solid at that point?
Greg.
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