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Water molecules could have formed just 100-200 million years after the Big Bang, long before the formation of the first galaxies, which changes our understanding of the possibility of the early emergence of life in the Universe.
New research has challenged previous theories about when water first appeared. Scientists at the University of Portsmouth have developed computer models that simulate the birth and death of the first stars. Their results show that water could have existed much earlier than previously thought.
After the Big Bang, the universe was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. Heavier elements, including oxygen, did not yet exist. Without oxygen, the formation of water molecules was impossible.
The birth of water in stellar explosions
The primordial elements combined into the first stars, which created heavier elements through nuclear fusion. When these stars exploded as supernovae, they released the newly formed oxygen, which combined with the existing hydrogen.
“Either way, we just don’t know what’s going on,” – says Daniel Whalen, the project's principal investigator. That's why his team developed detailed computer models.
The researchers simulated stars of varying masses, from 13 to 200 times the mass of our Sun. The more massive stars produced clouds of water vapor the mass of Jupiter. The smaller stars produced water about the mass of Earth.
Depending on the mass of the star, the formation of water after supernova explosions took between 3 and 90 million years. Thus, the first molecules appeared 100-200 million years after the beginning of the Universe.
Water as a catalyst for the formation of new stars
The most unexpected discovery was that the water didn't just disperse into space. Gravity forced water molecules and other heavy elements to clump together, creating the conditions for the birth of a second generation of stars and possibly the first planets.
“It was a huge result,” – emphasizes Whalen. This discovery fundamentally changes our understanding of the early history of the Universe and the potential origin of life.
Traditionally, it was believed that conditions for life appeared much later.
Future research and the search for early traces of life
The scientists plan to continue their research to see if early water vapor could have survived the harsh conditions of the formation of the first galaxies. Research team member Muhammad Latif from the UAE University suggests that these primordial molecules may still exist today.
Life as we know it requires liquid water, which, according to Avi Loeb of Harvard University, can only exist on a planet with a surface and an atmosphere.
Searching for second-generation stars and their planets using modern telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, will help to better understand the process of condensation of primordial water vapor. This brings us closer to answering the question of whether life could have originated just millions of years after the Big Bang.
The discovery changes our understanding of cosmic history. If water existed so early, then the potential for life could have emerged much earlier than previously thought.
These studies also highlight water's unique role as a universal solvent and medium for biochemical reactions, and it remains a key marker in the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe.
