It seems supernovas aren’t enough. Nature has an even more extreme way of making heavy elements. And we may be on the point of observing the distortions of space-time caused in the process
As far as we can tell,the age of the universe is approximately 13.82bn years, and that of the solar system is approximately 4.6bn. The sun is not one of the first generation of stars born in the universe.
The hot, or dense moments after the great Bang produced protons,and a few small clumps of at most seven protons and neutrons bound together - that is, the elements hydrogen, and helium and a tiny bit of lithium. These elements came together under gravity,ignited under their own pressure as fusion reactors the first generation of stars – and produced the heavier elements. The heaviest elements were produced in the final stages of the stars’ life, as they ran short of helium and hydrogen and eventually exploded, and distributing oxygen,carbon, silicon and the rest into space. Eventually some of that condensed again, or with more hydrogen and helium,forming not just the next generation of stars, but also planets and, and on at least one of them,life. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com