Scientists were able to see in detail how stars form the heaviest elements in the universe. They did this by simulating supernova conditions in a particle accelerator. calm! There is no real stellar explosion, but rather a process on a quantum scale. With this, they confirmed one of the most plausible models of how certain elements form in true supernovae.
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Astronomers know that a star, during its lifetime, can combine the nuclei of hydrogen and helium atoms. The large elements can also combine carbon and other elements from the periodic table, but there is a limit: iron. From there, they can no longer perform nuclear fusion, and well, they explode. In this explosion, scientists say that elements heavier than iron were forged.
But there are also limits to supernovae. Isotopes are known as p-nuclears, where “p” means proton-rich, and make up about 1% of the heavy elements observed in our solar system, and their formation is a mystery. Isotopes are variations of the same element with different atomic masses, usually due to the varying number of neutrons in the nucleus, while the number of protons remains the same. The P nucleus is an isotope that has no neutrons but is rich in protons.
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The currently accepted model for explaining the formation of the p nucleus is the gamma process, which consists of an energetic cosmic event in which an atom captures a loose proton. To prove this hypothesis, scientists used an isotope separator and accelerator II at the Triumf National Laboratory in Canada to produce a beam of rubidium-68 atoms of charged radioactive material.
According to the study, the results indicate the production of a p-core called strontium-84, which is consistent with the gamma process proposal. The rate of the thermonuclear reaction was lower than predicted by theoretical models, resulting in higher production of strontium-83, in amounts consistent with the presence of this isotope in meteorites. The article describing the findings was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
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