What is the percentage of heavy element of the sun?

AI Thread Summary
The percentage of heavy elements in the sun, defined as those heavier than helium, is approximately 1.6-1.8%, based on various models. This metallicity, noted as 0.0177, indicates that heavy elements constitute a very small fraction of the sun's overall composition. During star formation, the initial gas cloud is assumed to be homogeneous, leading to a consistent distribution of elements. Currently, the sun is on the main sequence and does not create heavy elements internally. Overall, while the percentage is small, it is significantly greater than the mass of Earth.
magnetar
Messages
83
Reaction score
0
what is the percentage of heavy element (heavier than helium) of the sun? (not the photospheric composition)
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
I can't answer this exactly, but I think that during star formation, the collapsing gas cloud is assumed to be a homogeneous mixture. If not, there could be significant convection throughout the majority of the proto-star, which mixes the elements into a homogeneous state. The sun is on the main sequence right now, so no heavy elements are created inside the sun. This means that given a homogeneous initial mixture, the heavy element composition in the interior of the sun should be the same as the photospheric composition.

Wikipedia says that the sun's metallicity = .0177
 
It's of order 1.6-1.8%, depending on the model.
 
Just know that it's a very small percentage but much larger than the mass of Earth.
 

Thread 'Does it make sense to build new radio telescopes?'

TL;DR Summary: In 3 years, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope (or rather, a system of telescopes) should be put into operation. In case of failure to detect alien signals, it will further expand the radius of the so-called silence (or rather, radio silence) of the Universe. Is there any sense in this or is blissful ignorance better? In 3 years, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope (or rather, a system of telescopes) should be put into operation. In case of failure to detect...
View full post »
Thread 'Could gamma-ray bursts have an intragalactic origin?'

Thread 'Could gamma-ray bursts have an intragalactic origin?'

This is indirectly evidenced by a map of the distribution of gamma-ray bursts in the night sky, made in the form of an elongated globe. And also the weakening of gamma radiation by the disk and the center of the Milky Way, which leads to anisotropy in the possibilities of observing gamma-ray bursts. My line of reasoning is as follows: 1. Gamma radiation should be absorbed to some extent by dust and other components of the interstellar medium. As a result, with an extragalactic origin, fewer...
View full post »

Thread 'Our Beautiful Universe - Photos and Videos'

This thread is dedicated to the beauty and awesomeness of our Universe. If you feel like it, please share video clips and photos (or nice animations) of space and objects in space in this thread. Your posts, clips and photos may by all means include scientific information; that does not make it less beautiful to me (n.b. the posts must of course comply with the PF guidelines, i.e. regarding science, only mainstream science is allowed, fringe/pseudoscience is not allowed). n.b. I start this...
View full post »

Similar threads

B Brightness of different layers of the Sun
Replies
29
Views
2K
B Sun contains more oxygen, silicon and neon than previously thought
Replies
5
Views
2K
B What Would Happen to the Elements in the Human Body If Teleported to the Sun?
Replies
3
Views
2K
I Is the Sun's photosphere fluorescent?
Replies
22
Views
3K
I Granules On The Sun: Photosphere Or Convection Zone?
Replies
2
Views
2K
I Confused about Stonyhurst Grid and jHelioViewer
Replies
17
Views
2K
B How bright is the Sun compared to the sky?
Replies
17
Views
3K
I Angle of Sun by date and zip code?
Replies
6
Views
2K
B How hot is the Sun in space? (James Webb related)
Replies
25
Views
4K
I Chemical Elements produced inside the Sun
2
Replies
65
Views
7K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top