The first stars may have flooded the early universe with water
Simulations reveal early stars' supernovae created water in the universe's first 200 million years.
Astronomers, headed by Daniel Whalen, conducted a study using simulations of supernovae to understand the role of early stars in the universe's water formation. Research, published in Nature Astronomy, indicates that supernova explosions from stars as massive as 300 times the Sun produced water in the universe's first 200 million years, setting the stage for future cosmic developments.
The team analyzed both core-collapse and pair-instability supernovae as primary actors in this phenomenon, with pair-instability supernovae displaying a greater capacity to generate water quickly. Core-collapse supernovae, resulting from stars of at least eight solar masses, formed water within 30 to 90 million years post-explosion, whereas pair-instability supernovae completed the process in just 3 million years, thanks to their more violent and metal-rich output.
These supernova-produced water-rich regions likely contributed to the formation of stars and possibly planets even before the first galaxies formed. The discovery also introduces the potential for early rocky planets, as the metals from pair-instability supernovae, including significant amounts of oxygen, were instrumental in accelerating the creation of filaments rich in water. Observing these early universe phenomena remains a challenge, but upcoming telescopes might detect the subtle signs of these waters in cosmic history.