Scribd
Upload
25 views25 pages

1 Origin of Elements

Uploaded by

jade arevalo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views25 pages

1 Origin of Elements

Uploaded by

jade arevalo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 25

How did the universe

originate?
The Big Bang Theory
- is the leading explanation about how the universe began. At its simplest, it says the
universe as we know it started with a small singularity, then inflated over the next 13.7
billion years to the cosmos that we know today. This startling idea first appeared in scientific
form in 1931, in a paper by Georges Lemaître, a Belgian cosmologist and Catholic priest.

The idea was developed much


further by other cosmologists,
including George Gamow, with
Ralph Alpher and Hans Bethe,
to become the modern Big
Bang theory.
Evidences to support the Big Bang Theory
1. Cosmic background radiation was detected.
2. Primordial helium was detected.
3. Measurements show that the universe is expanding and that galaxies are
moving away from one another.
Evidences to support the Big Bang Theory
1. Cosmic background radiation was detected.
In the 1960s, Arno Penzias and Robert
Wilson were experimenting with a 6-
meter radio telescope, and discovered a
background radio emission that was
coming from every direction in the sky.

From what they could tell, the entire sky


measured a few degrees above absolute
zero. Theories predicted that after a Big
Bang, there would have been a
tremendous release of radiation.
Evidences to support the Big Bang Theory
1. Cosmic background radiation was detected.
2. Primordial helium was detected.

Spacelab astronomy mission


known as Astro-2 (STS-67)
launched through the space
shuttle Endeavour
Evidences to support the Big Bang Theory
1. Cosmic background radiation was detected.
2. Primordial helium was detected.
3. Measurements show that the universe is expanding and that galaxies are
moving away from one another.
Red shift Astronomers often use the term redshift when describing how far away a distant
object is. When an object in space moves toward us its light waves are compressed into
higher frequencies or shorter wavelengths, and we say that the light is blueshifted. When
an object moves away from us,
its light waves are stretched
into lower frequencies or
longer wavelengths, and we say
that the light is redshifted.
Evidences to support the Big Bang Theory
1. Cosmic background radiation was detected.
2. Primordial helium was detected.
3. Measurements show that the universe is expanding and that galaxies are
moving away from one another.
Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 –
September 28, 1953) was an American
astronomer. He played a crucial role in
establishing the fields of extragalactic
astronomy and observational cosmology and is
regarded as one of the most important
astronomers of all time.
Hubble discovered that many objects previously
thought to be clouds of dust and gas and classified
as "nebulae" were actually galaxies beyond the
Milky Way.
Big Bang
Nucleosynthesis
The chemical composition of the Universe is dominated by
the

Hydrogen …….. 73%


Helium …………. 25%
Others ………….. 2%

Number of Elements = 118

92 exist naturally on Earth with all others being the product


of nuclear fission.
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
• Big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), also known as
primordial nucleosynthesis, is the process of
producing the light elements during the big bang
expansion
• It yields two stable isotopes of hydrogen, two
isotopes of helium, some lithium atoms, and
beryllium isotopes
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
1. A proton (p) and a neutron (n) may fuse together to yield
a high-energy photon (γ) and an isotope of hydrogen (H)
called deuterium (D or 2H, with one p and one n).

• The deuterium bottleneck can be traced to its low binding


energy and eventual destruction by photons at very high
temperatures.
• A decrease in temperature enabled deuterium to stabilize
and eventually initiate the BBN cascade.
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
2. Two D nuclei may fuse together to form either of the
following:
a. The radioactive H isotope tritium (T or 3H, with one p and two
n) and one p ; or

a. The isotope helium-3 (He-3 or 3He, with two p and one n)


along with one n
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
3. The isotope Helium-4 (He-4 or 4He, with two p and two n) may
be formed from three fusion reactions.
a. The fusion of one p and a T atom

b. The fusion of D with T

c. The fusion of D with He-3


Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

● He-4 has a binding energy of 28 MeV. Further fusion products were


a rarity since these resulting atoms had binding energies lower than
this amount mentioned above. (MeV stands for megaelectron volt)
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
4. He-4 may still undergo further fusion in the presence of a T
atom, yielding the lithium-7 atom (Li-7 or 7Li, with three p and
four n) and a γ.

Li-7 may react with one p to produce two stable He-4 nuclei.
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
5. He-4 may also fuse with He-3 to yield the unstable isotope
beryllium-7 (Be-7 or 7Be, with four p and three n) along with one
γ.
Formation of Heavier Elements in the evolution of the Universe
Nucleosynthesis is the creation of (new) atomic nuclei, the centers of atoms that are made
up of protons and neutrons.
A few seconds after the Big Bang, a soup
of particles known as quarks and gluons,
condensed into protons and neutrons.
Neutrons fused with protons to make
nuclei of deuterium, an isotope of
hydrogen. Deuterium nuclei then
combined to make helium. Further
reactions between protons, neutrons, and
different isotopes of helium produced
lithium. The hydrogen and helium
produced during this phase of the universe
eventually created the universe’s first
massive stars.
Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
The BBN did not give rise to elements heavier than beryllium.
• Drop in temperature resulted in insufficient energy levels for fusion
reactions to push through.
• Nucleosynthesis continued with the expansion of the universe.
Nucleosynthesis Epoch
Most Colorful View of Universe Captured by Hubble Space Telescope
BIG BANG THEORY
** E N D **
References:
Quipper Slides

Butataran, R. M. B., Santos, A. D., & Santos, J. M. O. (2016). Conceptual


Science and Beyond. Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc.

Caintic, H. E. (2020). Physical Science for Senior High School Revised


Edition. C & E Publishing, Inc.

You might also like