Silicon burning process

In astrophysics, silicon burning is a nuclear fusion reaction which occurs in massive stars. It only occurs at ?×10⁸K.

28Si + 28Si	→	56Ni + &gamma
56Ni	→	56Fe + 2 e+ + 2 νe

• at temperature above 10⁹K -> photons become too energetic -> photodissociation or photonuclear reactions.
• production of element heavier than iron are endothermic and
• are exclusively produced by neutron capture in the violent final stage of stellar evolution (see: Supernova nucleosynthesis, r-process, s-process and p-process).