Tellurium, along with elements even heavier than it in the periodic table, were apparently formed from a rare type of supernova in a rapid process of nuclear fusion
Almost 13.7 billion years ago, the universe consisted of the elements hydrogen, helium, and only traces of lithium - byproducts of the big bang. Almost 300 million years later, the first stars were born while distributing more chemical elements throughout the universe. Since then, explosions of giant stars, or supernovae, have produced the elements carbon, oxygen, iron and the other 94 elements of the periodic table that appear in nature.
Today, stars and planetary bodies produce remnants of these elements, created from the gas enriched by supernovae over the years. During the last 50 years, scientists have examined stars of different ages in search of the outline of the development of the chemical elements in the universe and in order to identify the astrophysical phenomenon that gave birth to them.
Now, a team of researchers from several institutions, including MIT, have for the first time ever located the element tellurium in ancient stars. The researchers found remnants of this semiconducting and fragile element - which is very rare on Earth - in stars that are almost 12 billion years old. This finding confirms the theory that tellurium, along with elements even heavier than it in the periodic table, were apparently formed from a rare type of supernova in a rapid process of nuclear fusion. The research findings were published in the scientific journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.
"We are interested in understanding the development of the element tellurium - and with the help of the kash the development of all the other elements - from the time of the big bang until today," says one of the scientists who were partners in the research. "Here on Earth, everything is made up of carbon and various other elements, and we are interested in understanding how the element tellurium came to us."
The scientists analyzed the chemical composition of three bright stars located several thousand light-years from us, "in the crown of light of the Milky Way," the researcher notes. The researchers analyzed data from the Hubble Space Telescope's spectrograph, an instrument that splits the light coming from the stars into a spectrum of different wavelengths. If an element is found in any star, the atoms of that element absorb stellar radiation of a specified wavelength; Scientists are able to observe this absorption as a slope in the spectrograph data. The researchers identified such gradients in the ultraviolet radiation field of the spectrum - at a wavelength that corresponds to the natural light absorption of the element tellurium - a finding that provides proof that this element is indeed present in space, and that it was probably formed more than 12 billion years ago, when all three stars were born .
The researchers also compared the distribution of the element tellurium with the distribution of other heavy elements such as barium and strontium, a comparison which showed that the ratio of these elements was the same in all three stars. The researcher claims that the identical ratios confirm the theory of the synthesis of the chemical elements - it is possible that a rare type of supernova was responsible for the creation of the heavier elements found at the bottom of the periodic table, including tellurium.
According to theoretical predictions, the elements heavier than iron may have been formed as part of the collapse of a supernova core, when the nuclei of atoms collided with huge amounts of neutrons in the process of nuclear fusion. For fifty years astronomers and nuclear physicists have been developing models that simulate this rapid process called the r-process in order to reveal the cosmic history of the elements.
The research team discovered that the ratios of heavy elements observed in the three stars correspond to the ratios predicted with the help of these theoretical models. The findings, the researcher points out, confirm the theory that heavier elements were probably created from a rare, extremely fast supernova.
"Iron and nickel can be created in any normal supernova, anywhere in the universe," explains the researcher. "However, it seems that heavy elements can only be created in special supernovae. Adding more elements to the observed patterns of elements will help us understand the astrophysical and environmental conditions required for this kind of process to exist."
One of the team's researchers points out that tellurium is an element that is difficult to detect, since it absorbs radiation in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum, an impossible measurement for telescopes located on the surface of the earth. The research team's findings, she explains, are the first step in discovering some of the most elusive elements found in the universe.
"If you look at the periodic table, tellurium is right in the middle of the elements whose presence is difficult for us to measure," the researcher points out. "If we want to understand how the r-process occurs in the universe, we really need to measure this part of the periodic table."
Researchers continue their search for heavy elements in space. For example, selenium - which is similar to tellurium - has not yet been found in the universe. Lead, the researcher points out, is also an element that is difficult to locate, like many other elements along the same column of tellurium in the periodic table." "There are still a number of gaps," says the researcher. "From time to time we are able to add a foundation and it gives us another point of reference that makes our work easier."
15 תגובות
to R. H.,
As above, so below. that's it.
I'm still waiting for them to discover the adamantium…
to Arya Seter.
On second thought I'm afraid I was the one who was wrong.
Please accept my apologies.
Larya Seter: You are wrong.
It is not written "and more" but "and rest", that is
According to the article, the table includes a subsidiary group
94 elements, some of which were listed by specifying their names
And some of them are "the rest"; Kerry remained scoreless
their names.
We agreed and learned: there are 94 natural elements. Although promethium (61), plutonium and neptunium (93, 94) are defined, for example in Wikipedia, as artificial elements, but promethium, although it is artificial on Earth, it exists in certain stars and the first two transaural elements are found in nature in minute quantities.
to me,
All the elements heavier than iron cannot be formed in normal nuclear processes in stars like the sun (and even heavier ones) and according to the theory today all of these were formed in stellar explosion processes in the past = supernovae.
The material from these explosions was dispersed in space and formed our solar system (a long time later..).
This explains where all the elements heavier than iron came to Earth.
Something in the writing doesn't work for me.
It is written that tellurium is formed only under special conditions of fast supernovae
But... it is also found on Earth that was not really formed under the conditions of a fast supernova
At least as far as I know
So I have the impression that this assumption (or whoever wrote the scientific explanation published to the press)
Not really accurate
to Aria,
There is something in your words, the title is not clear enough.
For more information at the link:
http://www.haaretz.co.il/news/science/1.1176823
the source,
You speak like a prisoner who was born in a cell with a small window and wants to understand the world, and he claims that instead of looking at the window and trying to see what amazing things are happening outside, it is better to look at the 4 dreary walls he is imprisoned in because everything is inside.
a successful way.
Why do we have to go as far as stars and supernovae... Does science still not understand that everything is in the mind, and that the mind is in awareness?? The need to go far to distant regions in the cosmos, many times stems from a trait in the soul from which this phenomenon is derived, for it is very possible that there is no need to explore anything except the Gods in which we are in depth and inward self-observation and discover everything from within, this attitude causes one to go outside not from observation Inward is a terminal approach, because when you present yourself as tiny, and as zero in relation to the entire universe, you have no choice but to create yourself fake theories and models, or cognitive systems of perception and put everything you can into them, and then all you have is to live out of helplessness of who you are, being a small mouse in the vast enterprise of the cosmos, this attitude gives quantitative or accidental values supremacy before giving essence and self-insight the place it deserves, because the more you strengthen this attitude in the soul, the ego cannot at all dare to approach these places where we have to explore Such enormous dimensions, in all kinds of science videos, we are witnessing an ever-expanding phenomenon of cosmic giant shots, of talking about huge things with explosive names such as supernovae, quasars, crystals, meteors, etc., or black holes, and more.. not that there are no terms These are realities, but the problem is the grounding and clothing with which we clothe this information, in such a huge and gigantic way, as if in your future you do not arrive at the most innovative space station in the world, you will not be able to truly understand, and this is not true, everything is in the mind, including the space stations, also the professors from the universities , both NASA, and I, everything, if a person has a big enough heart and enough strength to believe in himself and go with the inner truth fearlessly, he can reach insights and abilities without any need or assistance or help from any such huge factor, and rather precisely these factors Many times they annoy him, keep him away, oppress him, put his foot on him along the journey of consciousness and cognition that he is going through, and distract him.. and don't get me wrong, I myself read and learn a lot, but the sting lies in B. They keep us from knowing, but keep us away and distract us, and I mean literally in university academic language. And - in our position and self-esteem, when we are in front of key people and senior positions, we quite naturally submit to their statements and accept them as if they were God... and this is a terrible mistake!!
The number in the article is 100. At the beginning of the article: "Hydrogen, helium, and traces of lithium" "Carbon, oxygen, iron and the other 94 elements of the periodic table that appear in nature." Ok so less promethium and more plutonium and napthomium this gives 93 and not 100.
Where does the number 94 come from?
According to this page: http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%98%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%94_%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%96%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%AA There are only 91 elements in nature.
However, Promethium (61) does not exist on Earth but has been detected in other planets.
Whereas on Earth, tiny amounts of naphthomium and plutonium were discovered in uranium ores, which is why the number 94 was probably created.
Muti, Arya talked about elements in nature, there are other elements but they were created artificially.
to Aria,
Link to Wikipedia:
http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%93
As far as I know there is even a transition, they are simply unstable and fall apart quickly.
From the beginning of the article it appears that there are 100 elements that appear in nature. As far as I remember the number is 92 (Uranium is the last). Have the author or someone explain the discrepancy to us.