The
CNO cycle (for
carbon–
nitrogen–
oxygen) is one of the two (known) sets of
fusion reactions by which
stars convert
hydrogen to
helium, the other being the
proton–proton chain reaction. Unlike the latter, the CNO cycle is a
catalytic cycle. Theoretical models suggest that the CNO cycle is the dominant source of energy in stars more massive than about 1.3 times the mass of the
Sun. The proton–proton chain is more important in stars the mass of the Sun or less. This difference stems from temperature dependency differences between the two reactions; pp-chain reactions starts at temperatures around (4 megakelvins), making it the dominant energy source in smaller stars. A self-maintaining CNO chain starts at approximately , but its energy output rises much more rapidly with increasing temperatures. At approximately , the CNO cycle starts becoming the dominant source of energy. The Sun has a
core temperature of around , and only of nuclei produced in the Sun are born in the CNO cycle. The CNO-I process was independently proposed by
Carl von Weizsäcker and
Hans Bethe in 1938 and 1939, respectively.