Submitted by omigodd t3_yj0y9t in askscience
MarcusMacG t1_iuo84ub wrote
In the original paper on Big Bang Nucleosynthesis by Alpher, Bethe, and Gamow all the elements were formed in the Big Bang. As Stellar Nucleosynthesis became popular it grabbed the creation of heavier elements. Lithium hung around for awhile, but eventually BBN took it because SN didn't want it. There is no distinct reason for larger atoms to not be primordial other than our model is tweaked to fit with other models. Our model predicts population III stars, ones made out of hydrogen and helium devoid of heavy elements, but we don't see any so our model is wrong.
the-channigan t1_iuoluhy wrote
Just a reminder that in the paper referenced Bethe didn’t really do anything. Gamow thought it would be fun to add him in to create a whimsical reference to the three types of nuclear radiation. Alpher, the junior researcher on the paper, was not best pleased with this as he foresaw he would lose credit with two more senior eminent physicists on the author list.
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