Lesson 3: Cosmic Origin of Elements Flashcards
The study of how the universe began, how it continues, and how it will end
Cosmology
Cosmological Theory is AKA?
Big Bang Theory / Big Bang Model
Cosmological Theory states that?
The universe once began expanding and continues doing so to this day.
True or False: In reality, there actually was a big bang or explosion.
False, the universe only expanded and inflated.
Who created the Big Bang Theory?
Georges Lemaître and Edwin Hubble
The Key Stages of the Big Bang Model
- Hot and dense initial singularity
- Inflation
- Plasma soup, nucleosynthesis/nuclear fusion
- Recombination
- Stellar formation and evolution
Nucleosynthesis
From inflation and expansion, the universe eventually cooled down to a temperature suitable for protons and neutrons to combine into a nucleus.
Recombination
- Nuclei further cool down to attract electrons.
- The universe cooled down enough for atoms to exist.
What was the first element discovered?
Helium
What was the first element formed in the universe?
Hydrogen
True or False: The fusion of hydrogen nuclei led to the formation of Helium and some Lithium.
True
Stellar Formation and Evolution
The fusion of hydrogen and helium signals the birth of a star.
True or False: In stellar evolution, elements produced were heavier than Lithium.
True
What other elements were formed during Stellar Formation and Evolution?
Carbon, Neon, Oxygen, Silicon, and Iron
Measurement of the singularity?
1 cm in diameter
Atoms of an element that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons.
Isotopes
What was the first isotope formed?
Deuterium
Stellar Explosion
A red giant star’s core starts to collapse. Huge amounts of energy are produced and released, forming heavier elements than Fe through neutron capture and radioactive decay.
What do we call a star’s violent explosion?
A supernova
When a red supergiant dies, it can either become?
A neutron star or a black hole
When a red giant dies, it becomes?
A white dwarf
Nuclear Fusion
A nucleus combines with another nucleus
Nuclear Fission
A nucleus splits into smaller nuclei
What do we call the emission of energetic particles of an atom?
Radioactivity
