Origin and

Formation
of the
Elements
Light Elements and Heavy
Elements
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Origin of
the Light
Elements
 • It was proposed by
Belgian astrophysicist
and Priest Abbe
Georges Edouard
Lemaitre. It postulates
Big Bang that the universe
emerged from a state
Theory of enormous density
and energy. The
name “Big Bang”
coined by British
astronomer Fred
Hoyle.
 Abbe Georges
Edouard Lemaitre
(1894-1966)
 MISCONCEPTION:
•The occurrence
of an explosion.
Big Bang •“BANG”-
Theory simultaneous
appearance of
space
everywhere in the
universe.
 • Albert Einstein
proposed that the
universe is spatially
Big Bang bound (finite) and
has a uniform
Theory distribution of
matter when
averaged on a
very large scales.
 • Three key
observational
evidence support
Big Bang the big bang model:
A.Hubble or Cosmic
Theory Expansion
B. Cosmic Microwave
Background
C. Primordial of Big Bang
Nucleosynthesis(BBN)
 • By early 1930, American astronomer
Edwin Hubble, made a major
discovery at Mt. Wilson observatory
hubble’s in California, USA. Using the 100-inch
Hooker Telescope, he had identified
Law/ cepheids(a class of variable stars
pulsating periodically and which can
hubble’s be used as an indicator of distance
and velocity) in numerous spiral
Expansion nebulae(galaxies) including the
Andromeda Nebula.
• According to this law, it proved that
universe was expanding thereby
suggesting it was once compact.
 Cosmic Microwave
Background
• In the 1940’s, physicist and cosmologist George
Gamow, together with Robert Herman and Ralph
Alpher predicted that if the early stage of the
universe was hot and dense, then an afterglow of
radiation must have filled up the universe because of
the cooling process. This is known as the cosmic
back ground radiation or known as cosmic
microwave background (CMB).
 • In the 1964’s, Arno
Penzias and Robert
Wilson, the two
Cosmic astronomers of Bell
Laboratories in New
Microwave Jersey , USA,
confirmed the
Background presence of CMB
having an average
temperature of 2.7
Kelvin.
 • Gamow, Herman and Alpher
also believed that the high
temperature of the universe
was an ideal condition for
nuclear reactions to have
Primordial or occurred during the first few
minutes of the big bang
Big Bang • Nucleosynthesis-fusion of
Nucleosynthesis protons and neutrons forming
nuclei
• Primordial or the BBN produced
the light elements shortly after
the big bang.
 Light Elements

HYDROGEN(75%) W/ ITS HELIUM(25%) LITHIUM

ISOTOPE DEUTERIUM
Two Ways of Representing
an Isotope
•Write the name or
symbol of the
element, followed by
a dash and it’s mass
number
•(e.g,, hydrogen-1 ,
H-1)
Origin of
the Heavy
Elements
 •Protons can also
be combined
Origin of the with neutrons to
Heavy Elements form heavier
nuclei in the
process of
nuclear fusion.
 •Nucleosynthesis
in stars is called
stellar
Origin of the nucleosynthesis,
Heavy Elements which is
responsible for
the formation of
heavy elements.
 •Two Key
Origin of Processes of
stellar
the Heavy nucleosynthesis
are nuclear fusion
Elements and neutron
capture
 Understanding the Life
Span of the Stars
•Stars must have energy to exist for a certain
length of time. This energy comes from
various nuclear fusion reactions between
light elements , involving the release of the
huge amount of energy that keeps the star
hot.
STARS
 Understanding the Life Span of
the Starsof the Stars
• Massive stars undergo further nuclear reactions.
Oxygen and Carbon fuse to form
Neon(Ne),Sodium(Na), Magnesium(Mg), Silicon(Si) and
Sulfur(S).
• As they age, huge stars with depleted cores and
exhausted fuels supplies undergo supernova-explosion
of a star.
• Thus, results the formation of other heavier elements.
Then it will be ejected into space to form other matter.
 Nuclear Fusion Reactions
• Two main types of nuclear reactions can emit large
amount of energy: nuclear fission and nuclear fusion
reactions.
• Nuclear fission- splitting of the heavy nucleus into lighter
nuclei. (e.g.,,nuclear powr plants, nuclear weapons)
• Nuclear fusion- light nuclei combine to form heavier
nucleus.(e.g., fuel the stars, hydrogen or thermonuclear
bombs)
 Nuclear Fusion Reactions
• Two Phases: form different sets of elements
• Exothermic reaction that form Helium
-release energy in the form of heat and light including,
proton-proton chain reaction(p-p chain) or hydrogen
burning, CNO cycle(carbon, nitrogen and oxygen cycle)
• Burning phases that form heavier nuclei
-Helium Burning, Carbon and oxygen burning, and silicon
burning
 Neutron Capture
•Elements heavier than iron-56 are
not produced through nuclear
fusion; instead, they are assembled
through the capture of neutrons,
thus creating a heavier isotope of
a particular element.
Career in
Science

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 • Chandra X-ray
observatory(telescope)
- Xray telescopes
generate images of X-
ray emitting objects
through reflection by
using precisely shaped
mirrors in the cosmos.
- Designed with mirrors
that can reflect X-ray
photon through a
Technology in Focus phenomenon called
grazing incidence.