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Silicon burning process

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

²⁸Si + ²⁸Si	→	⁵⁶Ni + γ
⁵⁶Ni	→	⁵⁶Fe + 2 e⁺ + 2 ν_e

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[?]).

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