For the first time, scientists recreated the formation of the first molecules in the universe, imitating the conditions of the primitive universe. The new discoveries challenge the understanding of the origin of the stars at the beginning of the universe.
Right after the Big Bang13.8 billion years ago, the universe was at extremely high temperatures. A few seconds later, however, temperatures decreased enough to hydrogen and helium were formed as the first elements.
Hundreds of thousands of years after the formation of these elements, temperatures were cold enough for their atoms to combine with electrons in a variety of different configurations, forming molecules.
A recently published study in Astronomy and Astrophysics revealed that a helium hydride – heh+ – was the first molecule of the usual.
This ião is necessary to form molecular hydrogen, currently the most abundant molecule in the universe.
Both helium hydride ions and molecular hydrogen were fundamental to the development of the first stars hundreds of millions of years later, the researchers said.
As it writes, for a protestal to start fusion – the process that allows stars to create their own energy – atoms and molecules within it must collide with each other and release heat. This process is widely ineffective at temperatures below 10,000 degrees Celsius.
However, helium hydride ions are particularly good at continuing the process, even at low temperatures, and are considered a potentially integral factor of star formation at the beginning of the universe.
The amount of helium hydride ions in the universe may therefore have had a significant influence on the speed and effectiveness of the initial stellar formation, explains the, released last week.
An unprecedented recreation
The investigators recreated the initial reactions of Hélio Hydttostoring the ions less 267 degrees Celsius for up to 60 seconds to cool them before forcing them to collide with heavy hydrogen.
It has been found that reaction rates between these particles do not decrease at lower temperatures, which contradicts previous assumptions.
“Previous theories predicted a significant decrease in the likelihood of reaction at low temperatures, but we could not verify this in the experience or new theoretical calculations,” the study co -author said in the statement in the statement, in the statement, Holger Kreckelfrom the Max Planck Institute of Nuclear Physics in Germany.
This discovery challenges the way physicists think the stars have formed at the beginning of the universe. “Reactions between ions and other atoms seem to have been much more important to chemistry at the beginning of the universe than previously thought”said Kreckel.
