Sun Holds More Silver Than Thought
Researchers at Uppsala University have updated the estimated silver content of the Sun, finding it to be 55 percent higher than previously thought. The study utilized advanced spectroscopic modeling to resolve long-standing discrepancies in solar composition data.
Why it matters
Refining the chemical composition of the Sun improves our understanding of stellar evolution and provides a more accurate reference point for studying other stars and cosmic material.
Researchers at Uppsala University have calculated that the Sun contains 55 per cent more silver than previously estimated. The results are based on more realistic modelling of the Sun's atmosphere and resolve a long-standing problem of missing silver in the solar system.
Like most stars, the Sun consists almost entirely of hydrogen and helium and only 1.5 per cent of its mass consists of heavier elements such as carbon, iron, or silver. Yet, these trace elements are extremely important. They act as a fossil record of the cosmos.
"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.
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