▁a ▁hel ium - 4 ▁nucle us ▁before ▁decay ing , ▁they ▁can ▁f use ▁into ▁a ▁carbon - 1 2 ▁nucle us . ▁This ▁reaction ▁was ▁first ▁the or ized ▁independently ▁by ▁Ö p ik ▁and ▁Sal p eter ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁ ▁O wing ▁to ▁the ▁inst ability ▁of ▁ 8 Be , ▁the ▁triple - alpha ▁process ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁reaction ▁in ▁which ▁ 1 2 C ▁and ▁heav ier ▁elements ▁may ▁be ▁produced ▁in ▁observed ▁quantities . ▁The ▁triple - alpha ▁process , ▁despite ▁being ▁a ▁three - body ▁reaction , ▁is ▁facil itated ▁when ▁ 8 Be ▁production ▁increases ▁such ▁that ▁its ▁concentration ▁is ▁approximately ▁ 1 0 − 8 ▁relative ▁to ▁ 4 He ; ▁this ▁occurs ▁when ▁ 8 Be ▁is ▁produced ▁faster ▁than ▁it ▁dec ays . ▁However , ▁this ▁alone ▁is ▁ins u fficient , ▁as ▁the ▁collision ▁between ▁ 8 Be ▁and ▁ 4 He ▁is ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁break ▁apart ▁the ▁system ▁rather ▁than ▁enable ▁fusion ; ▁the ▁reaction ▁rate ▁would ▁still ▁not ▁be ▁fast ▁enough ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁observed ▁abund ance ▁of ▁ 1 2 C . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁Fred ▁Ho yle ▁thus ▁post ulated ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁reson ance ▁in ▁carbon - 1 2 ▁within ▁the ▁stell ar ▁energy ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁triple - alpha ▁process , ▁en han cing ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁carbon - 1 2 ▁despite ▁the ▁extremely ▁short ▁half - life ▁of ▁b ery