An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A class of → nuclear fusion reactions by which stars convert → helium into → heavy elements.

Once carbon has been created, through → triple alpha process,
in a star’s interior, it can then continue to fuse with further → alpha particles to produce progressively heavier elements called → alpha particles. The first stage produces oxygen, followed by neon, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, argon, calcium, titanium, chromium and iron. This is known as the → alpha ladder, with energy released as a photon at each stage.

See also: → alpha;→ process.