Please explain how, after matter exploded in the Big Bang, nuclear fusion reactors called stars were formed from the chaos. Take me through the process involved.
This is my understanding, not necessarily 100% correct. Keep that in mind.
First: Big Bang. Matter and energy are present in expanding space. At this moment, temperatures are so hot that nothing exists beyond quarks.
Second: Things cool enough for quarks to condense into subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, electrons). Still too hot for atoms, so they stay separate.
Third: Things cool enough for subatomic particles to link into hydrogen and helium nuclei. Electrons still not included.
Fourth: Things cool enough for electrons to join atoms. Space is now a bunch of gas.
Fifth: Gravity begins pulling clumps of gas together as the atoms attract one another. Temperatures increase as atoms are pulled together, but not enough to stop collapse.
Sixth: Atoms are packed so tightly and are under so much pressure that electrons in the center fly from their nuclei. The center of the cloud is now pure plasma.
Seventh: Atoms in the core are under so much pressure that they get close enough for the Strong Nuclear force to snap the nuclei together. They fuse from hydrogen to helium, releasing massive amounts of energy and some neutrinos.
Eighth: The energy release from fusion in the core finally produces enough pressure to stop the gravitational collapse of the cloud. It’s now a relatively stable gas ball, or a star.