Water was formed almost immediately after the Universe began — the oldest stars «told» scientists about it

The results of new research indicate that water could be formed in the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

Water — is one of the key elements for the emergence of life, but when exactly did it form? This question has been bothering scientists for decades.

A new study notes that first water could have appeared in the Universe as early as 100-200 million years after the Big Bang.

The early Universe consisted of simple elements, including hydrogen, helium, and lithium. Heavier elements could not be formed until the first stars appeared, burned their energy reserves, and then exploded. The explosions of the first supernovae resembled giant pressure cookers, combining light elements into heavier ones.

To determine when water could have first appeared in the Universe, scientists have studied ancient supernovae, which are called population III supernovae, meaning they were formed from the very first stars. Whalen and his team of astronomers analyzed 2 models of the remnants of these ancient stars: core-collapse supernovae, when a large star collapses under the influence of its own mass; and pair instability supernovae, when the internal pressure of the star suddenly drops, causing a partial collapse.

The researchers found that shortly after the Big Bang, both types of supernovae formed dense gas clots, which are likely to could contain water. In general, the amount of water in these gas clumps was relatively small. However, this water was concentrated in areas where active formation of planets and stars was taking placeThe first galaxies probably originated from these regions, which means that water could have already been in the mix when they formed.

The study was published in the journal Nature Astronomy

Source: LiveScience