The Explosive Origin of the Elements - Andrew Emerick - 08/07/2020

Everything on Earth, everything you see, almost everything in the Universe -- even you -- has at one point or another been a part of a star. Learn about how different elements get created in the cores of stars or in cosmic explosions. Timestamps, links and Q&A panel questions are included below.

Welcome & Announcements: 00:00
Stargazing & Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing Tips: 02:43
Lecture: 10:41
Q&A Panel Start: 42:26
Can we use heavy element isotopes to "carbon date" the Universe? 45:24
Why aren't technetium and promethium made in stars? 46:52
What's the most common type of star? 50:21
Have we discovered all of the elements? 51:40
Is there a soup of quarks in the interiors of stars? 57:52
Can we find exoplanets based on their magnetic fields and plasma bubbles? 1:03:59
If we were to stand on Mercury, could we breathe its atmosphere? 1:05:57
Why are beryllium and boron not formed in stars? 1:08:11
How much computing power and hard drive space are required to simulate galaxy formation? 1:09:57
How do scientists determine which elements get formed where? 1:17:09
How does a binary neutron star system form? 1:18:59
Could there be fragments of exploded neutron stars in other stars/planets? 1:24:06
What is the Chandrasekhar Limit and how does it factor into element formation? 1:26:09
How has the pandemic affected the astronaut selection process this year? 1:27:50
What is a strange star? 1:33:06
How do elements heavier than iron form? What are the r-process and s-processes and how do they work? 1:36:33
What elements are exoplanets made of? 1:41:33
What has been your journey to astronomy/astrophysics? Do you have any advice for someone wanting to take up astronomy/astrophysics? 1:46:57
Can the mass of unseen exoplanets explain the predicted mass of dark matter? 1:58:14

Date: August 7, 2020
Lecturer: Andrew Emerick
Title: The Explosive Origin of the Elements
Abstract: Nearly every element was made through some type of star. This means everything on Earth, everything you see, almost everything in the Universe -- even you -- has at one point or another been a part of a star. While this paints a beautiful, maybe even harmonious picture of our place in relation to the rest of the Universe, the process of creating the elements in stars is anything but peaceful -- it is everything explosive. You may have heard the saying "we are all star stuff" before, but in this talk I'm going to unpack that saying more. I will explore the explosive origin of the elements, from the carbon and oxygen that are integral to life, to the silicon that makes computers possible, to heavier elements like silver and gold which are made in the collisions of dead stars.

Participants:

Stargazing Resources:

Stargazing Apps:

[abcde_fz]

. 34:34 REALLY COOL GALACTIC PROCESSES GRAPHIC! Of all the times
I've seen lectures explaining processes in stars that produce elements,
this is the first time I've seen a GREAT graphic looking from outside a galaxy
and showing processes over millions of years at accelerated speed. What a treat!!!

[germansnowman]

The galaxy shown from 20:03 is M63 (NGC 5055), also known as the Sunflower Galaxy.

[dariolemos]

Fantastic talks! Should be shown at schools all over the country. Can't believe this stuff doesn't reach kids early on, as much as religious views do. Learning about this should be mandatory since Kindergarten or first grade. (This is me talking as a father). Greetings from HMS.

[zack_]

3:00- why is the sky E-W flipped, an astro routine?

[vibonacci]

Neptunium and Plutonium are also created mostly by neutron stars collisions...

[GuilhermeBelmont]

are green and yellow elementes changed?

[krelb]

My theory how a universe is created: Black Hole sucks in all matter, reduces it to Hydrogen and Helium atoms, blows it out the other side at explosive rate, (The so-called Big Bang, ) thus starting the whole process over again. Really a form of galactic teleportation. Bingo, a new universe.

[GuilhermeBelmont]

how does low mass star make heavy elements like U and Th?

[merlepatterson]

Too bad Andrew didn't cite the paper which initially made reference to element formation from high velocity jet fusion.