On 3 June 2014 01:53, IVP <joecolquitt@clear.net.nz> wrote:

> Another story I read today about researchers using 300GW
> laser pulses to make a supernova by vapourising carbon. Who
> can tell where that physics will lead
>
>
Some can guess :-).

But, as you usually need a spare White Dwarf (of the stellar & celestial
variety) hanging about to achieve one, odds are that they won't.
What may be being claimed is carbon fusion, which is understood to be the
driving mechanism involved. This week, anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_burning_process

" ... The *carbon-burning process* or *carbon fusion* is a set of nuclear
fusion <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion> reactions that take
place in massive stars <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star> (at least 8 [ima=
ge:
\begin{smallmatrix}M_\odot\end{smallmatrix}]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_mass> at birth) that have used up the
lighter elements in their cores. It requires high temperatures (> 5=D7108 K
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelvin> or 50 keV
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KeV>) and densities
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Density> (> 3=D7109 kg/m3).[1]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_burning_process#cite_note-Ryan-1>..."


  R
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