Where does the data come from?
Illustration of the periodic table showing where different elements come from
When the universe began 13.8 billion years ago in the Big Bang, conditions were too extreme for ordinary matter to form. The temperatures were too high for even individual quarks to combine to form neutrons and protons. However, within the first few minutes of existence, the universe cooled enough for quarks to form the first protons and neutrons. However, it took another 380,000 years for them to cool enough for the first atoms to form. Once this happened, the universe became transparent and light began to make its journey through the universe. The first atoms were almost entirely hydrogen, with smaller amounts of helium and lithium as well. Despite the fact that most atoms are hydrogen, we know that our universe now contains a multitude of other elements. There are a total of 118 elements, 92 of which are found in nature. to be exact. Hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant element in the universe, and all other elements are derived from hydrogen. To convert hydrogen into heavier elements, stars had to form. Stars are composed almost entirely of hydrogen, yet within their cores, hydrogen is actively fusing into heavier elements such as carbon and oxygen through the process of nuclear fusion. Heavier stars can continue the fusion process further down the periodic table than low-mass stars. The most massive stars are able to eventually create iron within their cores. Once that happens, the star is doomed. The fusion of iron requires more energy than it releases, and thus, the iron begins to absorb the star’s energy. As this happens, the star’s massive gravity takes over and the star collapses. The nucleus is crushed to such an extent that the repulsive forces between the atoms are overcome. Protons and electrons fuse to form neutrons. Eventually, the core is composed almost entirely of neutrons and becomes what is called a neutron star.
Supernova
The Crab Nebula is a cloud of stellar material formed during a supernova. Image credit: NASA/ESA
The rest of the star continues to collapse until it bounces off the neutron star. The result is a gigantic explosion called a supernova. During a supernova, the amount of energy produced is so high that iron can be fused into even heavier elements, such as gold and silver. If stars did not cease to exist one day, the elements they fuse would remain locked inside their cores. In order for the very ingredients of planets and life to find their way into space, stars must explode. Our very existence is only possible because of the laws of physics that govern the cycles of astral life. If there were no stars, the universe would be nothing more than a cloud of hydrogen. The atoms that make up almost everything we see were once inside the cores of massive stars.
Aidan Remple September 17, 2022 in Science
