It’s safe to say that our existence wouldn't be possible without molecules. Even beyond all the matter on Earth, molecules are what shaped the Universe into what it is today. But what was the first molecule to lay the foundation?
It all started with a helium hydride ion (HeH+), which researchers investigated in a new study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. This molecule — a combination of ionized hydrogen and neutral helium atoms — was likely a catalyst for the creation of the first stars.
Now, researchers have recreated the type of reactions that caused molecular hydrogen to emerge from HeH+, gaining insight into the early chemistry that brought momentous change to the universe.
When the Universe was born from the Big Bang, there were no stars, planets, or galaxies at first. But it wasn’t exactly empty. Just as outrageously high temperatures had begun to simmer down in the aftermath ...
