. 24/7 Space News .
EXO WORLDS
Researchers reveal the origin story for carbon-12, a building block for life
by Staff Writers
Ames IA (SPX) May 12, 2022

These computer simulations show the structures of carbon-12 in the unstable, excited Hoyle state and as a stable ground state, the stuff of life.

With the help of the world's most powerful supercomputer and new artificial intelligence techniques, an international team of researchers has theorized how the extreme conditions in stars produce carbon-12, which they describe as "a critical gateway to the birth of life."

The researchers' fundamental question: "How does the cosmos produce carbon-12?" said James Vary, a professor of physics and astronomy at Iowa State University and a longtime member of the research collaboration.

"It turns out it's not easy to produce carbon-12," Vary said.

It takes the extreme heat and pressures inside stars or in stellar collisions and explosions to create emergent, unstable, excited-state carbon nuclei with three loosely linked clumps, each with two protons and two neutrons. A fraction of those unstable carbon nuclei can shoot off a little extra energy in the form of gamma rays and become stable carbon-12, the stuff of life.

A paper recently published by the online journal Nature Communications describes the researchers' supercomputer simulations and resulting theory for the nuclear structure of carbon that favors its formation in the cosmos. The corresponding author is Takaharu Otsuka of the University of Tokyo, the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science and the Advanced Science Research Center of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.

The paper describes how alpha particles - helium-4 atoms, with two protons and two neutrons - can cluster to form much heavier atoms, including an unstable, excited carbon-12 state known as the Hoyle state (predicted by theoretical astrophysicist Fred Hoyle in 1953 as a precursor to life as we know it).

The researchers write that this alpha-particle clustering "is a very beautiful and fascinating idea and is indeed plausible because the (alpha) particle is particularly stable with a large binding energy."

To test the theory, the researchers ran supercomputer simulations, including calculations on the Fugaku supercomputer at the RIKEN Center for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan. Fugaku is listed as the most powerful supercomputer in the world and is three times more powerful than No. 2, according to the latest TOP500 supercomputer rankings.

Vary said the researchers also did their work ab initio, or from first principles, meaning their calculations were based on known science and didn't include additional assumptions or parameters.

They also developed techniques in statistical learning, a branch of computational artificial intelligence, to reveal alpha clustering the Hoyle state and the eventual production of stable carbon-12.

Vary said the team has worked for more than a decade to develop its software, refine its supercomputer codes, run its calculations and work out smaller problems while building up to the current work.

"There's a lot of subtlety - a lot of beautiful interactions going on in there," Vary said.

All the calculations, physical quantities and theoretical subtlety match what experimental data there is in this corner of nuclear physics, the researchers wrote.

So they think they have some basic answers about the origins of carbon-12. Vary said that should lead to more studies looking for "fine-grain detail" about the process and how it works.

Was carbon production, for example, mostly the result of internal processes in stars? Vary asked. Or was it supernova star explosions? Or collisions of super-dense neutron stars?

One thing is now clear to the researchers: "This nucleosynthesis in extreme environments produces a lot of stuff," Vary said, "including carbon."

Research Report:a-Clustering in atomic nuclei from first principles with statistical learning and the Hoyle state character


Related Links
Iowa State University
Lands Beyond Beyond - extra solar planets - news and science
Life Beyond Earth


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


EXO WORLDS
Origin of complex cells started without oxygen
Exeter UK (SPX) Apr 28, 2022
Since the 1960s, many experts have argued that the emergence of eukaryotes (cells containing a clearly defined nucleus) happened in response to the oxygenation of Earth's surface environment. But a team led by the universities of Stanford and Exeter say recent advances in the Earth and life sciences challenge this view. Their review says these breakthroughs "decouple" the emergence of eukaryotes (known as eukaryogenesis) from rising oxygen levels, and suggest eukaryotes in fact emerged in an ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EXO WORLDS
Relations on ISS not changed following Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Ariel Ekblaw on building beautiful architecture in space

ISS Partnership faces 'Administrative Difficulties' NASA Panel Says

Students compete to improve everyday life on the Space Station

EXO WORLDS
Boeing reportedly butting heads with supplier over Starliner issues

Work continues to return Artemis I Moon rocket back to launch pad for next test

Launch of China's commercial carrier rocket fails

FAA issues Commercial Space Reentry Site Operator License for Huntsville Airport

EXO WORLDS
A Different Perspective on Mirador Butte Sols 3473-3475

New study indicates limited water circulation late in the history of Mars

Study reveals new way to reconstruct past climate on Mars

Sols 3471-3472: Up The Mountain We Go!

EXO WORLDS
China's cargo craft docks with space station combination

China launches the Tianzhou 4 cargo spacecraft

China prepares to launch Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft

China launches Jilin-1 commercial satellites

EXO WORLDS
Kepler provides on-orbit high-capacity data service to Spire Global

Terran Orbital ships CENTAURI-5 satellite to Cape Canaveral

NASA selects SES Government Solutions to support Near-Earth communications

Rocket Lab launches BRO-6 for Unseenlabs

EXO WORLDS
Smarter satellites: ESA Discovery accelerates AI in space

Unpacking black-box models

Researchers develop 3D-printed shape memory alloy with superior superelasticity

Failed eruptions are at the origin of copper deposits

EXO WORLDS
Researchers reveal the origin story for carbon-12, a building block for life

The origin of life: A paradigm shift

Planet-forming disks evolve in surprisingly similar ways

Experiments measure freezing point of extraterrestrial oceans to aid search for life

EXO WORLDS
Traveling to the centre of planet Uranus

Juno captures moon shadow on Jupiter

Greenland Ice, Jupiter Moon Share Similar Feature

Search for life on Jupiter moon Europa bolstered by new study









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.