'We are stardust': A few questions, please.

[dasmoocher]

@rsa

The process of producing heavier elements is called nucleosynthesis. Wikipedia has a good nucleosynthesis article.

It’s pronounced “New clear arrr synthesis…”

Simpsons nuclear submarine

[Kenm]

@Jinx

At the heart of the matter is what is the heaviest element naturally found in the human body? Iron may first come to mind. . . .

And gold.

[Learjeff]

@Lukeinva

Don’t forget that, also, we are golden.

Thread winner.

@ralph124c

My question: when a 1st -generation star explodes, the metals, heavy elements are flung out at enormous speeds. How does the residue “agglomerate” into a new start (and planets). It would seem that such a process would take a long time.

Well, a billion years here, a billion years there, and pretty soon we’re talking about a long time.

[Whack-a-Mole]

@Jinx

This is a good question. At the heart of the matter is what is the heaviest element naturally found in the human body? Iron may first come to mind, but what about Iodine? Iodine is heavier than iron, and a star’s core cannot continue fusion beyond iron; hence, the death of a star. So, where do the heavier elements come from?

It comes from when the star goes supernova. The star collapses very rapidly sending temperatures and pressures to truly astronomic levels. In these moments all the things heavier than iron get synthesized. Indeed it is that rapid nearly all-at-once fusion that provides the energy for the supernova explosion (sufficient to outshine the entire galaxy it is in).

[Learjeff]

@Jinx

This is a good question. At the heart of the matter is what is the heaviest element naturally found in the human body? Iron may first come to mind, but what about Iodine? Iodine is heavier than iron, and a star’s core cannot continue fusion beyond iron; hence, the death of a star. So, where do the heavier elements come from?

See the Nucleosynthesis article linked above. In particular, see the nice color-coded periodic table. All of the natural occurring elements are … (big surprise) naturally occurring, inside stars or when they explode. Heavier elements take bigger events.

(So, we’re not just stardust. We’re also supernova dust! At least, part of us is.)

[dasmoocher]

@Learjeff

Thread winner.

Well, a billion years here, a billion years there, and pretty soon we’re talking about a long time.

I’m stealing this.

[Voyager]

@Wesley_Clark

How long has our solar system been isolated from other interstellar clouds or star systems? We are several light years from the nearest stars, has our solar system been made of interstellar star stuff or has it been one star being born and dying in isolation that gave birth to our current solar system?

Well, the Crab Nebula is 11 light years in width (at least.) And it isn’t all that old (just under 1,000 years.).