The universe’s biggest explosions made some of the elements we are composed of. But there’s another mystery source out there

By Robert Brose, Assistant Professor at the School of Physical Sciences at Dublin City University (DCU), Dublin City University

After its “birth” in the Big Bang, the universe consisted mainly of hydrogen and a few helium atoms. These are the lightest elements in the periodic table. More-or-less all elements heavier than helium were produced in the 13.8 billion years between the Big Bang and the present day.

Stars have produced many of these heavier elements through the process of nuclear fusion. However, this only makes elements as heavy as iron. The creation of any heavier elements would consume energy instead of releasing it.

In order to explain the presence of these heavier elements today, it’s…

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