How did we get elements above lead?

In summary, scientists believe that elements above iron are created through the process of supernova nucleosynthesis, in which the energy released during a supernova explosion allows for the fusion of iron into heavier elements. This process is theorized to occur in the later stages of a heavy star's life, after it has gone through silicon burning. The conventional big bang model suggests that the universe initially only contained hydrogen, helium-4, and trace amounts of deuterium, lithium, and beryllium, with no elements above iron present until the formation of stars. This is supported by evidence and widely accepted by scientists.
  • #1
gonegahgah
376
0
This is something which has been a question to me that I don't seem to have stumbled across anything about myself:

How and when did/do the elements above Iron get created?

I've come across mention about the elements up to iron being generated by the process of fusion in stars. I assume you need bigger stars to fuse elements higher than hydrogen. Is that correct?

Does anyone here have info on how the elements above iron came/come to be?
 
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  • #2
You're correct: iron has the highest binding energy per nucleon, so it costs energy to fuse it into heavier elements, and the end of the line for a heavy star (light stars usually have contracted long before this point) is theorized to be silicon burning:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_burning_process

At this point, the star either collapses into a neutron star, or a black hold, becoming a supernova in the process. The energy released in the process of blowing off the outer layers of the star supplies the energy required to fuse iron into heavier elements via supernova nucleosynthesis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernova_nucleosynthesis

And hence the expression that we're all made of star dust. IANAAP (I am not an astrophysicist) however.
 
  • #3
Thanks MAT
Any ideas on the energy difference in the fusion process itself and the energy generated in the blowing off process?
 
  • #4
Sorry MAT. Only just read the link you provided. Thx for that.
It talks about what I asked.

Just another related question.
Is there any deliberation among scientists of the possibility of some production of higher elements during the high energies present during the big beginning.
Or is it considered to only have been an orderly process towards the production of hydrogen alone?
Did our universe initially only contain hydrogen until stars began to form or would there already have been some higher elements already present?
 
  • #5
gonegahgah said:
Sorry MAT. Only just read the link you provided. Thx for that.
It talks about what I asked.

Just another related question.
Is there any deliberation among scientists of the possibility of some production of higher elements during the high energies present during the big beginning.
Or is it considered to only have been an orderly process towards the production of hydrogen alone?
Did our universe initially only contain hydrogen until stars began to form or would there already have been some higher elements already present?

According to conventional big bang models, the production of elements during the nucleosynthesis era of the universe was as follows:
75% Hydrogen
~25% Helium 4
.01% Deuterium
Trace amounts of lithium and beryllium

There just wasn't enough time to fuse anything more complex than that.

There's a lot of evidence to support the fact that this is the approximate element ratio pre-stellar nucleosynthesis, so it's quite accepted among scientists.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis
 
  • #6
Thanks Nabe
 
  • #7
In a typical Type II supernova, the newly formed neutron core has an initial temperature of about 100 billion kelvin (100 GK); 6000 times the temperature of the sun's core.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperNova
 

1. How were elements above lead discovered?

Elements above lead were discovered through a process called nuclear fusion. This is when two or more atoms combine to form a heavier element. Scientists have also been able to artificially create these elements in laboratories through the use of particle accelerators.

2. What is the heaviest element that has been discovered?

The heaviest element that has been discovered is oganesson, with an atomic number of 118. It was officially recognized in 2016 by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

3. How did scientists determine the existence of elements above lead?

Scientists determined the existence of elements above lead by studying the patterns in the periodic table. They noticed gaps in the table and theorized the existence of unknown elements. Through experiments and observations, they were able to confirm the existence of these elements.

4. Are elements above lead naturally occurring?

Most elements above lead are not naturally occurring and have only been created in laboratories. However, some of these elements may have existed in the early universe and could be found in trace amounts in certain stars.

5. How do elements above lead impact our daily lives?

Elements above lead have a variety of uses in technology and medicine. For example, technetium is used in medical imaging, while plutonium is used in nuclear reactors. Some of these elements may also have potential uses in future technologies, such as oganesson which has been theorized to have superconductive properties.

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