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Where did all the Elements come from?

Where did all the Elements come from?. Nucleogenesis and Fusion of Subatomic Particles. Reviewing the Beginning. 13.7 billion years ago Extremely hot Expanding “soup of particles” Inflation: early phase rapid expansion Cooling with steady, constant expansion Nuclear Weak Force

eagan-gallagher
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Where did all the Elements come from?

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  1. Where did all the Elements come from? Nucleogenesis and Fusion of Subatomic Particles

  2. Reviewing the Beginning • 13.7 billion years ago • Extremely hot • Expanding “soup of particles” • Inflation: early phase rapid expansion • Cooling with steady, constant expansion • Nuclear Weak Force • Nuclear Strong Force

  3. Cosmic Background Microwave Radiation • Baryons: Protons & Neutrons • Made up of quarks • Fusion of nuclei • Hydrogen (makes up 90% of the Universe today) • Helium • Lithium • Beryllium • No electrons attached to these nuclei • Too hot

  4. The Nuclear Weak Force • The Weak Force is responsible for • Initiating hydrogen fusion in stars • the radioactive decay of subatomic particles • Large nuclei are unstable • Neutron = proton + electron • β-decay: Neutrons fall apart to form a proton and an electron, the electron escaping

  5. Nuclear Strong Force • Protons are all positive and would love to repel each other • The nuclear strong force holds the nucleus together • You must have energy to exert a force. • Nuclear energy powers the strong force. • Affects very small space • HUGE amount of energy – released in fission…bombs

  6. Nuclear Strong Force: Squeezing a Nerf Ball • Imagine squeezing a nerf ball • The ball wants to expand to its original shape • It cannot because the force of your hand is too great. • The nuclear strong force is like an invisible hand that holds the nucleus (Nerf ball) together. • Without it, there could only be Hydrogen in the Universe

  7. Fusion • Proton-Proton Chain • 2 Hydrogen fuse to form Helium • Helium fuse to form Carbon • Carbon fuses with Hydrogen to form Nitrogen • Nitrogen fuses with Hydrogen to form Oxygen…..

  8. Requirements of Fusion • Heat-Heat-Heat • Gravity pulls the atoms together • Gravitational pressure heats the gases to millions of degrees • Mass - Stars: the bigger they are the hotter they are • More Mass = More heat = more fusion = more elements

  9. Iron • Fusion in stars can form nuclei that have up to 26 protons = IRON • Too much energy is required to overcome the electromagnetic repulsion • Creating elements heavier that iron requires more energy

  10. Fusion also Creates Neutrons • Neutrons – captured by other atoms to form Isotopes • Isotopes are forms of standard elements with extra neutrons

  11. The Heavier Elements • Supernova of extremely massive stars • Cores of these stars are saturated with iron • Extreme pressure and temperature • Gamma radiation breaks the iron nuclei releasing more energy • Shock-wave produces enough energy to fuse elements heavier than iron up to and including Uranium

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