How Are Heavy Elements Distributed?

[jeff davis]

TL;DR Summary

I'm interested in how heavy elements are distributed after creation and aggregation to form new bodies.

Hello,
I was just pondering how certain heavy elements group together in the new bodies that they form.

Ex. that got me thinking:
So gold would have been created one way thru a supernova right? Say this supernova spread some gold dust all over the cosmos.

1. Why whenever a body such as the Earth is formed thru aggregation does the gold run in "veins" like it does usually? These veins are usually also having the same other deposits with them that are good identifiers to someone that gold is present; like quartz. Why are they together?

2. Why does the gold not spread all over everywhere but run in lines and clumps? I am thinking this is due to its weight and such during aggregation; but then i just wonder why it would not be sunk even deeper near the core of the planet since it is so heavy?

3. Since heavy elements like gold are formed from lighter masses going supernova; could there theoretically be a gold based star go supernova to create an even heavier element?

Thanks,

jeff

 

[256bits]

Summary:: I'm interested in how heavy elements are distributed after creation and aggregation to form new bodies.

1. Why whenever a body such as the Earth is formed thru aggregation does the gold run in "veins" like it does usually? These veins are usually also having the same other deposits with them that are good identifiers to someone that gold is present; like quartz. Why are they together?

Weathering of mountains over eons.

 

[256bits]

Summary:: I'm interested in how heavy elements are distributed after creation and aggregation to form new bodies.

but then i just wonder why it would not be sunk even deeper near the core of the planet since it is so heavy?

Much more gold in Earth's core than the surface I would suspect.

As for 3. , a star made out of predominantly gold would not exist.

 

[jeff davis]

"Weathering of mountains over eons." by 256Bits

Ahh. This is a painfully obvious answer. Thank you

 

[jeff davis]

"a star made out of predominantly gold would not exist. " by 256Bits

Why is this?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Much more gold in Earth's core than the surface I would suspect.

Given that there is just more material in the core than the surface, this is true for many things.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_differentiation is not a bad starting point.

 

[256bits]

Given that there is just more material in the core than the surface, this is true for many things.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_differentiation is not a bad starting point.

Percentage wise, the core should have greater abundance of heavy elements than light mixed in with the iron.

 

[256bits]

"a star made out of predominantly gold would not exist. " by 256Bits

Why is this?

Elements up to iron through nuclear fusion release energy.
Fusion of elements after iron require energy input.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Percentage wise

That's the key. :)

Weight is one factor in percentages, but chemistry is also important. Uranium has a higher surface concentration than you would expect from weight because it is a lithophile. Same story with thorium. Gold has a lower concentration because it is a siderophile. Same story with iridium.

 

[256bits]

That's the key. :)

Weight is one factor in percentages, but chemistry is also important. Uranium has a higher surface concentration than you would expect from weight because it is a lithophile. Same story with thorium. Gold has a lower concentration because it is a siderophile. Same story with iridium.

Meaning that the iron moving into the centre of the Earth would have taken gold with it, depleting the surface.
Gold in the core would be among the 5% of elements not of iron or nickel.

The surface has been replenished from meteorites to the tune of 0.001 to 0,006 ppm depending upon the source of data. If the chrondites are considered to be average makeup as the planet, and have a gold content of 0.16 ppm, the core would have the majority of the gold of the planet.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Meaning that the iron moving into the centre of the Earth would have taken gold with it, depleting the surface.

Right, and leaving the uranium behind.

 

[snorkack]

1. Why whenever a body such as the Earth is formed thru aggregation does the gold run in "veins" like it does usually? These veins are usually also having the same other deposits with them that are good identifiers to someone that gold is present; like quartz. Why are they together?

2. Why does the gold not spread all over everywhere but run in lines and clumps? I am thinking this is due to its weight and such during aggregation; but then i just wonder why it would not be sunk even deeper near the core of the planet since it is so heavy?

Well, consider where potassium is distributed in world (it is much more common, though).
Most of the potassium is spread all over everywhere, in rocks, soils and sea.
Small amounts of potassium are, however, concentrated in potash salt deposits.
Why?
Because when sea water is cut off from sea, in a place with dry climate and without rivers flowing in, after sodium chloride has precipitated, potassium salts remain in bitterns and then precipitate as a separated deposit.

Gold veins in rocks form because gold is modestly soluble in hot pressurized waters. So are other minerals, such as quartz. So as the waters travel upwards and cool, minerals whose solubility drops precipitate out. So does gold. Gold veins are cracks which once fed hot springs.

 

[256bits]

Gold veins in rocks form because gold is modestly soluble in hot pressurized waters. So are other minerals, such as quartz. So as the waters travel upwards and cool, minerals whose solubility drops precipitate out. So does gold. Gold veins are cracks which once fed hot springs.

That makes more sense.
I was thinking of placer deposits.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placer_deposit