FORMATION OF THE ELEMENTS

IN THE UNIVERSE
 TOPIC OUTLINE
1• Big bang and formation of the elements

• SYNTHESIS OF LIGHT ELEMENTS AND

2• PROTON-PROTON CHAIN

• FORMATION OF HEAVIER ELEMENTS

3• THE CNO PROCESS

4• THE TRIPLE ALPHA PROCESS

5• NEUTRON CAPTURE
 LESSON 1

Big bang and formation

of the elements
 CMOSOOLGY

It is a branch of astronomy that involves the

origin and evolution of the universe, from the
Big Bang to today and on into the future.
 cosmology

It is a branch of astronomy that involves the

origin and evolution of the universe, from the
Big Bang to today and on into the future.
THREE COSMIC STAGES

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

Stellar Formation and Evolution

Stellar Explosion or Supernova

 Big bang nucleosynthesis

It forms the light elements (H, He, and Li).

Stellar Formation and Evolution

It forms elements heavier than Be to Fe.

Stellar Explosion or Supernova

It forms elements heavier than Fe.

THE BIG BANG THEORY

The big bang theory was first

proposed by
Georges Lemaitre in 1927.
 THE BIG BANG THEORY

It is the idea that the universe began as

just a single point, then expanded and
stretched to grow as large as it is right
now
(and it could still be stretching).
 sINGULARITY

A point in space and/or a moment in time

where the universe was infinitely hot and
dense.
 INFLATION

is a theory of exponential expansion of

space in the early universe.
The inflationary epoch lasted from 10−36
seconds.
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS

is the process that creates new

atomic nuclei from pre-existing
nucleons, primarily protons
and neutrons.
 NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
as the universe cools, protons and neutrons can fuse to heavier atomic nuclei.
 RECOMBINATION

It refers to the epoch at which charged

electrons and protons first became bound
to form electrically neutral hydrogen
atoms.
 The major tenets of the
big bang theory

1. the universe used to be very hot;

2. the universe used to be very dense; and

3. the universe is expanding.

 Evidences of big bang theory

1. Redshift

2. Cosmic Microwave Background

3. Abundance of the "light elements"

1. redshift

the displacement of spectral lines toward

longer wavelengths in radiation from distant
galaxies and celestial objects.

Hubble’s law
Hubble’s law

“every galaxy is rushing away (moving away)

from us with a speed which is direct
proportion to its distance”
 Hubble’s law
EDWIN HUBBLE
The law was first
formulated by Edwin
Hubble and Milton
Humason in 1929 after
MILTON HUMASON
nearly a decade of
observations.
2. Cosmic Microwave Background

In 1965, Radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson

discovered a 2.725 degree Kelvin (-454.765 degree Fahrenheit,
-270.425 degree Celsius) Cosmic Microwave Background
radiation (CMB) which pervades the observable universe.
2. Cosmic Microwave Background

is electromagnetic radiation left over from an early

stage of the universe in Big Bang
3. Abundance of the
"light elements"

the abundance of the "light elements" Hydrogen

and Helium found in the observable universe are
thought to support the Big Bang model of origins.
 ???
What do you think will happen if the
universe continues to expand?
 What do you think will happen if the universe
continues to expand?

Observations suggest that the expansion of the universe will

continue forever. If so, then a popular theory is that the universe
will cool as it expands, eventually becoming too cold to sustain
life. For this reason, this future scenario once popularly called
"Heat Death" is now known as the Big Chill or Big Freeze.