Carbon in the universe

Sir, don t keep us in suspense, Mr. Plex says. You said the collision of be-ryllium-8 and helium-4 was not fast enough to produce the large amount of carbon in the Universe. ... 

The majority of the observed polyatomic species contain carbon. Because the ratio of hydrogen to carbon in the universe is 3 x 10, the nature of the chemistry, or better chemical processes, leading to this preference for organic polyatomic species in the interstellar medium can be examined for sensitivity - or, in effect, fine-tuning. Is this a chance development or a predictable consequence of the electron structure of matter We can further ask, in view of the abundance of hydrogen, why among the observed organic species there is such a preponderance of unsaturated compounds. 

It is as well for us that beryllium and boron do survive, because they are the doorway through which nucleosynthesis must proceed in order to form the King of Mediocrity, carbon, and thus eventually allow the kingdom to be appreciated by minds. There is in fact something rather special about a nucleus of carbon which enables it to form quite rapidly. If this special feature—its technical term is resonance—were absent, there would not be the current abundance of carbon in the universe but only a smidgen of... 

This extremely low pressure corresponds to much less than one gaseous carbon atom (on the average) in the universe at a time. 

Fig. 15. Solid-state carbon NMR spectrum of a sample of dried Eriophorum-Sphagnum peat recorded with a JEOl FX-200 spectrometer in the University of Helsinki by Mr. Kazuo Suke, (A), Ref.491. A similar spectrum of a woody Sphagnum-Carex peat recorded with a Bruker CXP spectrometer at Karlsruhe by Dr. H. Forster, (B), Ref. 49c...

Example 2. Vinviidene Chloride Isobutylene Copolymer. The next example is for the carbon-13 spectrum of copolymer vinylidene chloride isobutylene. Figure 5 shows the full spectrum and the peak assignment listing for the non-protonated vinylidene chloride carbon in the 84-92 ppm range. Triad assignments were made (Crowther, M. W., 1987, Syracuse University, unpublished data) using the two-dimensional COLOC (20) experiment. There are ten v-centered pentads representing different environments for the vinylidene chloride carbon. The i represents the non-protonated carbon in the isobutylene polymer unit. 

There are two kinds of substances—elements and compounds. Elements are substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means. Elements cannot be made by the combination of simpler substances. There are slightly more than 100 elements, and every material object in the universe consists of one or more of these elements. Familiar substances which are elements include carbon, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, oxygen, and hydrogen. 

The history of carbon in our universe has been of great importance in the evolution of life on Earth and quite possibly in other galaxies as well. Elemental carbon was formed sometime... 

Carbon is the I4th most abundant element, making up about 0.048% of the Earths crust. It is the sixth most abundant element in the universe, which contains 3.5 atoms of carbon for every atom of silicon. Carbon is a product of the cosmic nuclear process called fusion, through which helium nuclei are burned and fused together to form carbon atoms with the atomic number 12. Only five elements are more abundant in the universe than carbon hydrogen, helium, oxygen, neon, and nitrogen. 

It is not therefore to the planets that we should associate the elements iron with Mars, lead with Saturn, mercury with Mercury. It is indeed the stars that have nurtured them. Some stars make carbon, others gold. Thermonuclear combustion modifies the composition of the hottest regions within stars. Each star is responsible for the confection and distribution of a particular batch of atoms, apart from hydrogen and a large part of the helium in the Universe which were synthesised in the Big Bang, and the lightweight trio lithium, beryllium and boron. 

Explosive events like the Big Bang and supernovas are the professionals in the nucleosynthesis game. They are the great dispensers and generous donators of atomic nuclei in the Universe. The quantity and simplicity of nuclear species created by the Big Bang - hydrogen and helium - can only be balanced by the quality, diversity and refinement of species produced in supernovas, including 90 atomic types from carbon to uranium. 

Nickel catalysts are universal and are widely used not only in the laboratory but also in the industry. The supported form - nickel on kieselguhr or infusorial earth - is prepared by precipitation of nickel carbonate from a solution of nickel nitrate by sodiiun carbonate in the presence of infusorial earth and by reduction of the precipitate with hydrogen at 450° after drying at 110-120°. Such catalysts work at temperature of 100-200° and pressures of hydrogen of 100-250 atm 43. ... 

University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0212 Carbon and organic compounds in the universe... 

Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe. It is a key component of the atmosphere, sea, land, and all living things on Earth. In one form or another, carhon is recycled constantly between the oceans, land, air, and living things. The processes that move carhon atoms on Earth collectively make up the carbon cycle. 

All life on Earth is based on the element carbon. This means that in living organisms on Earth, body structures and the chemicals that take part in life processes are almost all carbon compounds. But scientists and science fiction enthusiasts alike have long speculated on the possibility that elsewhere in the universe there could be life forms based on other elements, particularly silicon. 

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