The chemistry of space

Submitted to Mrs. Simrat Kaur

submitted byHarpreet Kaur

The birth of universe

Time zero for universe is the instant at which the universe was born.
The most pronounced feature of the early universe was an allencompassing flood of energy, which was comparable in its characteristics to that of electromagnetic radiations.

Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy propagated by periodic fluctuations of electric and magnetic fields in space. The most common form of electromagnetic radiations are light, UV-rays, radio waves and gamma rays, photons.

 The two most common forms of electromagnetic radiations present in the universe were gamma rays and photons. In the universe there were also present large no. of neutrinos (small particles having carrying no electrical charge and little or no mass.)
The interaction among gamma rays, photons and neutrinos resulted in the formation of first particles

Formation of electrons
The interaction between gamma rays and neutrino (whose total energy is no more than 0.511 MeV. ) leads to the formation of lightest particles e.g. electron. neutrino + gamma rays electron

Conditions in universe immediately after big bang was not favorable for the formation of electrons. At that time the gamma rays ,photons and neutrinos have very large amount of energy, much more than was needed to produce the electrons. Instead conditions favored the formation of more massive particles with large energy equivalents. e.g. protons and mesons.

Formation of protons
The interaction between gamma rays and neutrino with a total amount of energy 1000 MeV leads to the formation of protons .
Gamma rays+ neutrino proton

In order to understand the various chemical reactions the scientists need to know the following

A cooling universe

Estimates of energy present. Approximate temperature of the universe

Cooling of universe
The temperature of universe after a few microseconds after the big bang is 10 K. The original fireball cooled and expanded very rapidly. Within a few microseconds the temperature drooped and creates an environment in which mesons, electrons and protons were able to form.

Formation of antiparticles
Another category of particles was also being created at the same time, the various forms of antimatter. Antiparticles are identical to particles except their charge. Antiparticles are formed by reactions similar to that of protons, electrons .the only difference is that it involves antineutrino rather than neutrino.

Particle decay
Some particles in early moments following the big-bang were destroyed by the process of matter/antimatter annihilation.
Others were disappeared by other processes. The most common is nuclear instability

Particle decay
At some point the particles spontaneously breaks into two or more other particles.
For example the neutrons were also formed by the interaction of protons and electrons. Protons + electrons neutrons

Particle decay
Bt free neutrons are inherently unstable and decay with half-life period of 1,013 seconds So it gives back Neutron proton+ electron+ neutrino

Formation of compound particles

The first particles formed were dispersed over a wide space. As with explosion the force of expansion was great. particles rushed outwards. Within a matter of seconds a new force came into being. gravitational force which tends to pull the particles towards each other.

As the temperature decreases ,the gravitation become more significant than force of expansion. It becomes possible for two newly produced particles to be near to each other and approach each other closely enough to bond.

Formation of compound particles

The first and simplest reaction was Proton+ neutron deuteron Deuterons were highly unstable ,when struck with gamma rays deuterons +gamma rays proton+ neutron

 As the temperature of the universe decreases the second reaction began to occur Deuterium+ deuterium helium+ neutron The other reaction is Deuterium+ deuterium hydrogen+ proton

Thank you for your patient listening