I get that all of the elements that make us are from stars but I just can’t wrap my head around how I am made of star dust… is this just a broader way of looking at the creation of elements in the periodic table or am I literally made of star dust.
Sorry if this was a stupid question!
In: 141
Part 1
the whole universe used to be filled with quark-gluon plasma, as the universe expanded this cooled and hydrogen plasma was formed. As it cooled and expanded further electrons stuck to this plasma to form hydrogen gas. As it cooled and expanded further, the hydrogen gas started forming clumps due to gravity. As it cooled and expanded further, the clumps expanded away from each other and the clumps got clumpier and clumpier. The clumps got so dense that the hydrogen became helium, lithium… and all the elements in the periodic table up to iron. All of the elements in your body up until iron was made here.
Part 2
Some of these clumps were sooo good at clumping that all the atoms in the middle of the clump got turned into iron and there were no more things left to clump. The inner shells of this clump then race towards the middle of the clump attracted by its gravity and no longer held up by the the energy keeping it up from the previous clumping up until iron. This causes the outer shell to race as well and it bounces off the inner shell on its way down causing a giant explosion. An explosion so violent that it bombards the expelled plasma with a bunch of neutrons and stuff. These neutrons stick to the atoms creating all of the elements in your body heavier than iron.
Part 3
All of this exploded star dust starts clumping…..
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