Researchers at Uppsala University have determined that the Sun contains 55 percent more silver than earlier calculations suggested. Their updated estimate comes from a more realistic model of the solar atmosphere and helps resolve a long-standing mismatch in the measured amount of silver across the solar system.
The Sun, like most stars, is made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium. Heavier elements, including carbon, iron, and silver, account for only 1.5 percent of its mass. Even in such small amounts, these elements are highly valuable to astronomers because they preserve clues about the history and chemical development of the cosmos.
A PhD Project Reveals a Solar Surprise
"The new knowledge about the Sun's composition is important for the understanding of other stars, planets and cosmic material, because the Sun is one of astronomy's key reference points," says Sema Caliskan, who conducted the work during her PhD studies at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University.
Heavy elements are created inside stars and during stellar explosions. They are later incorporated into new stars, planets, and other cosmic material. Measuring how much of each element is present helps scientists trace the chemical evolution of the Milky Way.
