(ORDO NEWS) — A team of Swedish astronomers at Lund University have developed a new way to study the evolution of the cosmos using an ultra-sensitive spectrometer, originally designed to detect the origin of ytterbium in the Milky Way. It is reported by EurekAlert.
The interest of scientists in ytterbium was caused by the need to study the appearance of this element in outer space.
Initially, there were two hypotheses: the first said that ytterbium came from massive stars with a short life period, and the second that it appeared after the explosion of supernovae.
After studying the spectra of 30 stars located near the Sun, experts came to the conclusion that it most likely occurred according to the scenario described in the second hypothesis.
Astronomers were able to carry out this work thanks to a new ultra-sensitive spectrometer capable of detecting infrared light in high resolution.
The authors of the study believe that with this method they have great opportunities to study the Milky Way and the evolution of the cosmos, which is surrounded by a large amount of dust that is impenetrable to telescopes.
In February 2022, French experts from the National Accelerator Laboratory SLAC and the University of Paris-Saclay found that dark matter that passes through a star can generate shock waves that reach the surface of the star, where they can be detected by astrophysical instruments.
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