An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A cycle of nuclear reactions, primarily among the iron group of elements, accompanied by a high rate of neutrino formation. Neutrinos carry away energy quickly leading to the cooling of the stellar core and a dramatic drop in the pressure. Due to this
process in pre-supernova stars, the core becomes unable to support the weight of the overlying layers. These layers collapse onto the core and subsequently rebound and escape in the supernova explosion.

See also: Named for the de Urca Casino in Rio de Janeiro, by
George Gamow and Mario Schönberg, who first studied this process.
Gamow is reported to have pointed to the similarity between the disappearance of money in the crowded gambling rooms of the Casino and the disappearance of electron energy into invisible neutrinos; → process.