Question by : Nuclear reaction: converting silicon into nitrogen?
For the nuclear reaction known to public, it is either converting a light element (hydrogen) into heavier element (helium), or from a heavy element (uranium, plutonium) into lighter element. All these reactions are exothermic because the starting elements are converted with the release of energy while the end product is higher in nuclear binding energy.
So can I say that there is an endothermic reaction where an element closer to the stablest nucleotides (iron and nickel) is converted into another element farther to the stablest nucleotides, that is, the resulting element “absorbs energy”? My idea comes from the need of nitrogen gas in a newly created Martian atmosphere in the process of the terraforming of Mars, just as nitrogen acts as buffer gas in the Earth atmosphere. Currently, the atmosphere comprises mostly of carbon dioxide. If the silicate (lots of silicon therein) dumped from exploitation of Martian rock and ores can be converted into nitrogen gas with the input of solar energy in space, a human friendly atmosphere is one step closer to reality. It is currently a daunting task to find that much nitrogen to be released in Mars.
Best answer:
Answer by gintable
You can guess that there is a reaction which indeed does this, and you can attach an arbitrary but meaningful name to it like an endothermic nuclear reaction.
BUT, just because a reaction seems possible according to energy, matter, and entropy balances, does not mean that it definitely will happen.
There needs to be a way by which it happens geometrically, and each stage of this process needs to make sense and needs to happen spontaneously.
What do you think? Answer below!
