Helium-Abundance Problem Solved

Helium-Abundance Problem Solved

TNRTB Archive – Retained for reference information

Simulations of star formation and evolution have resolved a long-standing observational discrepancy, thus strengthening support for RTB’s cosmic creation model. The amount of a particular isotope of helium observed in the universe matches that formed in the first minutes after the big bang. But this isotope of helium is also produced by stars, so it appears that the observed amount is too little to match the predictions of the big bang model. Recent results of star modeling show that instead of ejecting the helium into interstellar space, stars recycle it deep into their interiors, where further nuclear burning converts it into a much-more-abundant form of helium. These results mean that there is no longer a discrepancy between the predicted and observed amounts of this particular form of helium. Thus, RTB’s creation model, which incorporates big bang cosmology and stellar evolution, rests on even more solid ground.