After the Big bang ,when did the first atoms form?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the timeline of atomic formation following the Big Bang, specifically addressing how long it took for fundamental particles to combine into atoms, the nature of the first atoms, and the conditions of the universe during this period. The conversation includes references to the photon epoch and recombination.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the duration it took for atoms to form after the Big Bang, questioning whether atoms formed instantly and suggesting that hydrogen was the first atom.
  • One participant asserts that atomic formation occurred about 3 minutes after the Big Bang, while another references recombination happening 300,000 years later.
  • There is a discussion about the photon epoch, with a participant noting that during this time, most leptons annihilated, leading to few nuclei capturing electrons to become neutral atoms.
  • Another participant clarifies that while electrons were present during the photon era, heating hydrogen to 3000K would result in ionization of protons and electrons.
  • It is mentioned that after atoms formed at 300,000 years, the first stars caused most of the gas in the universe to ionize again about a billion years later.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the timeline of atomic formation, with some asserting it occurred at 3 minutes and others emphasizing the significance of the 300,000-year mark for recombination. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of these timelines and the state of the universe during these epochs.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the assumptions made about the conditions of the universe during the photon epoch and the definitions of atomic formation and ionization. The timeline of events is not fully agreed upon, leading to potential misunderstandings about the sequence and nature of atomic formation.

Monsterboy
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After the big bang ,how long did it take for atoms to be formed? how long did it take for the elementary/fundamental particles to come together and form atoms?did atoms formed instantly after the big bang? first atoms were hydrogen right?
 
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Monsterboy said:
After the big bang ,how long did it take for atoms to be formed? how long did it take for the elementary/fundamental particles to come together and form atoms?did atoms formed instantly after the big bang? first atoms were hydrogen right?

about 3 minutes.

EDIT: by the way, you should learn to use Google; it would have pointed you to not only the answer but some discussion.
 
Last edited:
phinds said:
about 3 minutes.

EDIT: by the way, you should learn to use Google; it would have pointed you to not only the answer but some discussion.

hmm..you are right about the google part...it's given that recombination happened 300,000 years after the big bang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_universe
So during photon epoch almost all the leptons annihilated ,so very few nuclei could capture electrons and become electrically neutral atoms ,then right? so the universe is mostly ionic?
 
Monsterboy said:
hmm..you are right about the google part...it's given that recombination happened 300,000 years after the big bang http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_universe
So during photon epoch almost all the leptons annihilated ,so very few nuclei could capture electrons and become electrically neutral atoms ,then right? so the universe is mostly ionic?

Yeah, you're right. I forgot that it was only the nucleus of the atoms that formed at 3 minutes.
 
Monsterboy said:
So during photon epoch almost all the leptons annihilated ,so very few nuclei could capture electrons and become electrically neutral atoms ,then right? so the universe is mostly ionic?

During the photon era, there were electrons. It's just that when you heat hydrogen to 3000K, the protons and electrons ionize.

At 300,000 years, atoms formed. Then about a billion years later, when you had the first stars, the star light caused most of the gas in the universe to ionize again.
 

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