Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Elusive molecule, first in Universe, detected in space
In the beginning, more than 13 billion years ago, the Universe was an undifferentiated soup of three simple, single-atom elements. Stars would not form for another 100 million years. But within 100,000 years of the Big Bang, the very first molecule emerged, an improbable marriage of helium and hydrogen known as a helium hydride ion, or HeH+.
"It was the beginning of chemistry," said David Neufeld, a professor at John Hopkins University and co-author of a study published Wednesday detailing how—after a multi-decade search—scientists finally detected the elusive molecule in space. "The formation of HeH+ was the first step on a path of increasing complexity in the Universe," as momentous a shift as the one from single-cell to multicellular life on Earth, he told AFP.
Theoretical models had long since convinced astrophysicists that HeH+ came first, followed—in a precise order—by a parade of other increasingly complex and heavy molecules. HeH+ had also been studied in the laboratory, as early as 1925. But detected HeH+ in its natural habitat had remained beyond their grasp.
"The lack of definitive evidence of its very existence in interstellar space has been a dilemma for astronomy for a long time," said lead author Rolf Gusten, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy in Bonn. Already in the 1970s, models suggested that HeH+ should exist in significant quantities in the glowing gases ejected by dying Sun-like stars, which created conditions similar to those found in the early Universe.
The problem was that the electromagnetic waves given off by the molecule were in a range—far-infrared—cancelled out by Earth's atmosphere, and thus undetectable from the ground. So NASA and the German Aerospace Center joined forces to create an airborne observatory with three main components: a massive 2.7-metre telescope, an infrared spectrometer, and a Boeing 747—with a window-like square cut away from it fuselage—big enough to carry them.
From a cruising altitude of nearly 14,000 metres (45,000 feet), the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, avoided 85 percent of the atmospheric "noise" of ground-based telescopes. Data from a series of three flights in May 2016 contained the molecular evidence scientists had long sought, interlaced in the planetary nebula NGC 7027 some 3,000 light years away.
"The discovery of HeH+ is a dramatic and beautiful demonstration of Nature's tendency to form molecules," said Neufeld.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Thursday April 18 2019, @07:17PM (2 children)
WE WUZ HEH+
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Thursday April 18 2019, @08:59PM (1 child)
Beavis and Butthead wear the simpler tee: "HeH"
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Bot on Thursday April 18 2019, @09:17PM
From the audio stream of the discovery:
- AHA!
- huh?
- HEH+!!!!
- WOW!!!!!
Account abandoned.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Thursday April 18 2019, @07:51PM (13 children)
What's the cost of a specially modified 747, plus it's operating cost? It is probably a significant portion of the cost needed to put the telescope in space. Avoided 85% of atmospheric noise? Put the telescope into a high orbit, and you'll avoid 99.99% of the noise. Yeah, a random molecule straying from the atmosphere may come by a couple times, each decade. Or, just put it into low earth orbit, and deal with a few dozen molecules a year. But, it's more or less permanent, if you choose your orbit correctly. If you're willing to refuel, and do occasional maintenance, we can call it permanent.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by takyon on Thursday April 18 2019, @07:58PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_Observatory_for_Infrared_Astronomy [wikipedia.org]
The 747 already exists and is reusable.
Once we have fully reusable BFR, we can talk about throwing all manner of big 'n' cheap space telescopes into orbit.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Interesting) by vux984 on Thursday April 18 2019, @08:13PM (9 children)
The hubble telescope has cost upwards of 10 billion dollars over the last 30.
According to wikipedia, this plane was built in '77 and bought used in '97 from united airlines who had it on storage by the space agency for another airborne observatory.
So by the time SOFIA came around in 2010, the plane was practically free by comparison to a satellite launch; and remember that satellite launches have dropped in price lately. They were not nearly as cheap 10 to 20 years ago.
This seems like a case of using what you have to greatest effect.
Maybe if they were specing it completely from scratch today, it would make sense to do a space telescope. Maybe not.
Sure there are lots of advantages to a space based telescope, but an advantage of airborne is that it can be upgraded, reconfigured, and retooled and repaired as needed.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by sfm on Thursday April 18 2019, @08:36PM (8 children)
Wouldn't you expect H2 to form before HeH+ ?
If nothing else than due to the large ratio of H to He
in the early universe ?? What am I missing?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Immerman on Thursday April 18 2019, @10:06PM (4 children)
Perhaps HeH+ is more stable at high temperatures? I mean, Helium is the least reactive element in the universe - under any sort of conditions we'd consider reasonable, you wouldn't expect it to form molecules at all.
It's a good question - the only thing I can think of is that the insane conditions of the early universe dramatically altered what chemistry was possible.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Thursday April 18 2019, @10:13PM
Or - we're talking the very early universe here...
It seems reasonable that as the temperature cooled, helium with it's normally strong grasp on its electrons would be the first to de-ionize, which made it possible for it to get close enough to other atoms to form molecules, while it was still too hot for hydrogen to de-ionize. So all the free protons were mutually repulsive, and had no electrons to share to form bonds anyway, but could still collide with neutrally-charged helium and bond to its already-captured electrons.
I really wish they went into a little more detail.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 18 2019, @11:32PM (2 children)
Only if you put "early universe" as 3000 years ago.
TFS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday April 19 2019, @01:01AM (1 child)
Yes, but the question was about the claim
"But within 100,000 years of the Big Bang, the very first molecule emerged, an improbable marriage of helium and hydrogen known as a helium hydride ion, or HeH+."
I wasn't talking about it making HeH+ possible - that's clearly still possible. But if HeH+ was first, then presumably something was preventing H2 from forming.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday April 19 2019, @03:23AM
Ah, got it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Thursday April 18 2019, @10:16PM
Because God made it that way!
:^)
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday April 18 2019, @10:17PM (1 child)
"In the beginning God ..." Genesis 1:1
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 18 2019, @11:35PM
Oh, wow, you beat the young universe creationists - the light showing HeH+ is only some 3000 old.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday April 18 2019, @11:38PM
Yes, they assembled the 747 in flight, with components from thin air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bd on Thursday April 18 2019, @11:43PM
Indeed, the people who make the detector for this telescope did just that. They built the corresponding detector for the Herschel space telescope, which worked from 2009 to 2013, when it ran out of liquid nitrogen coolant. http://www3.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/div/submmtech/heterodyne/Hifi/hifimain.html [mpifr-bonn.mpg.de]. That space telescope was a project in the billion euro+ cost range.
On the other hand, an airborne system is not that bad, performance wise. This is a millimeter wavelength telescope. Water vapor absorption is the biggest problem for atmospheric observations, and being high enough (like, in a plane) gives you most of the benefits for a fraction of the costs.
In this wavelength range, building a good detector is more challenging than in the radar or optical fields. You gain far more by updating the detector every three or four years.
The operating principle is much like a simple heterodyne detector, something you could find in old fm radios. But the technology is a nice crossover between optics and semiconductor physics. Many tricks are used to get a low noise LO.
I guess, eventually, this stuff will end up in a space telescope again at some point in the future.