Astronomers have long been puzzled by the chemical makeup of a very old star, specifically the unexpected abundance of the element strontium.
Strontium is known for its role in fireworks and glow‑in‑the‑dark paints, but its origin in the early universe has been difficult to reconcile with observed stellar spectra.
A recent study published in Nature Communications Physics, led by graduate researcher Caley M. Harris from Michigan State University, proposes an explanation for this discrepancy.
The work involved a large collaboration of scientists who carried out a series of complex laboratory experiments designed to mimic the nuclear reactions that occur inside stars.
By reproducing the conditions thought to exist in ancient stellar interiors, the team was able to measure how strontium is produced under those circumstances.
The results show that the previously puzzling levels of strontium can be accounted for when specific reaction pathways are included, bringing theory and observation into agreement.
According to the authors, the experimental approach highlights the importance of laboratory astrophysics in solving longstanding questions about elemental origins.
They note that further studies will explore whether similar processes can explain other anomalous abundances seen in metal‑poor stars.