The formation of light

elements in the Big Bang

Theory
Cristian Brix G. Regis
Big Bang Theory
• It is a cosmological model stating that the
universe started its expansion about 13.8 billion
years ago.
• Pieces of evidence supporting this theory are:
• Occurrence of red shift
• Background radiation
• Abundance of light elements
 (1) Redshift
•In the 1910’s, Vesto Slipher
and Carl Wilhelm Wirtz
measured the wavelengths
of light from spiral
nebulae, which are
interstellar clouds of dust
and ionized gases
Redshift: Doppler shift
• Doppler shift or Doppler
effect explains that when an
object gets closer to us, its
light waves are compressed
into shorter wavelengths
(blueshifted);
• When an object moves away
from us, its light waves are
stretched into longer
wavelengths (redshifted)
What made the redshift?
•Slipher and Wirtz then concluded that
the redshift(increase in wavelength)
occurred due to the increase in the
distance between the earth and the
nebulae or simply, to the expansion of
space.
 Edwin Hubble
• In 1929, he used the redshift of
light from galaxies to calculate the
velocities and distances of these
galaxies from the earth.
• He found out that the galaxies
were moving away from the Earth
and form each other.
• His calculations supported the
theory that the universe is
expanding.
(2) Cosmic Microwave Background
Radiation
• In 1965, Robert Wilson and Arno Penzias
discovered a low, steady “hum” from their
Holmdel Horn Antenna (an antenna built to
support NASA’s Project Echo).
• As a conclusion, the noise is then known as
CMBR, the remains of energy created after the
Big Bang expansion.
(3) Abundance of Light Elements
•The big bang theory is supported by the
abundance of light elements.
•The theory predicts that the universe is
composed of 73% hydrogen and 25% helium
by mass.
 FORMATION OF LIGHT ELEMENTS
• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis is the process of producing the
light elements during the big bang expansion.
• In the beginning, the universe was very hot that matter
was fully ionized and dissociated.
• Few seconds after the big bang, the universe was filled
with protons, neutrons, electrons, neutrinos and
positrons.
• After the first three (3) minutes, the universe cooled down
to a point where atomic nuclei can form.
 FORMATION OF LIGHT ELEMENTS
•Protons and neutrons combined to from
atomic nuclei such as deuterium
Defining a Term
•Binding energy
•is the energy required to break
down a nucleus into its
components
•However, the temperature of the universe
was still much greater than the binding
energy of deuterium.
•Therefore, deuterium easily decayed upon
formation.
•When the temperature cooled down
10
below 10 K, deuterium nuclei combined
with other nuclei to form heavier ones
•Helium-3 was formed form the fusion of two
deuterium nuclei and a release of a neutron.
•Tritium (hydrogen-3) was produced from the
fusion of two deuterium nuclei and a release
of a proton.
•Helium-4 was also synthesized from
deuterium and helium-3
•Helium-4 was produced from the fusion of
deuterium and tritium.
•For the first three (3) minutes, a
substantial amount of neutrons was
converted into helium-4 nuclei, before
their decay.
•Helium then combined to other nuclei to
form heavier ones such as lithium-7 and
beryllium-7.
•Lithium-7 was synthesized from helium-4
and tritium
•Beryllium-7 was produced form helium-3 and
helium-4
• Among the light elements formed, deuterium,
helium-3, helium-4, and lithium-7 were stable.
• Beryllium-7 was unstable and decayed
spontaneously to lithium-7
1-4. What are the light elements formed during the
first few seconds of the big bang?
5-6. Who were the scientists that discovered the
redshift?
7-8. What elements were formed deuterium was
fused with another deuterium nuclei?
9. What is called to the process of producing the
light elements during the big bang expansion
10. Give the element which was unstable, therefore
leading to decaying spontaneously to lithium