Water may have emerged in the universe far earlier than scientists previously thought, potentially altering our understanding of life's origins. A groundbreaking study published in the journal Nature Astronomy on March 3 reveals that water likely existed between 100 million to 200 million years after the Big Bang. This research suggests that life as we know it could be billions of years older than previously assumed.
Researchers focused their efforts on examining the most ancient supernovas, specifically Population III supernovas, to uncover these findings. They analyzed models of two types of these early star remnants: core-collapse supernovas and pair-instability supernovas. The study's co-author, Daniel Whalen, an astrophysicist at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., led the team in exploring the interior pressure of stars to determine when water formed.
The study identified that a sudden drop in interior pressure within these stars caused a partial collapse, leading to the formation of water in the universe. This revelation contradicts previous predictions, which placed the emergence of water billions of years later.
"Oxygen, forged in the hearts of these supernovae, combined with hydrogen to form water, paving the way for the creation of the essential elements needed for life," stated Daniel Whalen.
The implications of this study extend beyond theoretical physics, potentially offering new insights into the search for life beyond Earth. The presence of water so early in the universe's timeline suggests that the conditions necessary for life were established far earlier than previously imagined.
"This implies the conditions necessary for the formation of life were in place way earlier than we ever imagined — it's a significant step forward in our understanding of the early Universe," added Whalen.
The James Webb Space Telescope may play a crucial role in further validating these results. By providing advanced observational capabilities, it could offer additional evidence supporting the study's claims and enhance our understanding of water's cosmic origins.
