2023-07-30 16:11:43
You don’t know the origin of iron and aluminum in our solar system? Scientists know (almost) no more than you! But the discovery of a very old star moving among young stars in formation could make the difference and tell us more about the formation of the Sun.
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The core of the Earth has not finished surprising us! The origin of the elements that compose it – iron (80%), nickel and lighter elements that have not been identified with certainty – raises questions. How did they end up in our solar system? Until now, scientists answered: “galactic winds” and “supernovas”! Except that here, the discovery of a very particular star spotted in a very unusual place could change the situation, teaches us a team of researchers in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
AGBs: stars at a very advanced stage of old age!
The star in question belongs to the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). Translation: it is a red giant at the very end of its life, whose hydrogen and helium which form the outer layers of the core merge separately but simultaneously, until the star disappears. We talk about the “AGB” diet. These stars are particularly known for producing large quantities of aluminum and iron, present during the formation of our solar system. Elements that are even suspected of having participated in the internal warming of our Blue Planet.
Unexpectedly, one of these “retired” stars has been spotted moving among a group of very young stars in formation, giving them the opportunity to capture its iron and aluminum! Scientists believe that a similar phenomenon could have occurred during the formation of the Sun, explaining, at least in part, the origin of these elements.
An observation that paves the way for new research
The observation was made possible thanks to Gaia, a European Space Agency satellite commissioned to take measurements of the positions, distances and movements of stars. “Gaia is revolutionizing our theories of how stars form and then move through the galaxy”enthuses Christina Schoettler, associate researcher in astrophysics in the physics department of theImperial College from London. It was she who identified the AGB star in the Gaia DR3 data. “The discovery of an old star evolving in close proximity to young planet-forming stars is a wonderful example of the power of serendipity in scientific research,” she concludes. It is also the first stone of a phase of research of other retired stars in regions of formation of young stars, in order to measure the frequency of such phenomena.
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