Why Is Helium Important in the History of Star Formation?

AI Thread Summary
Helium plays a significant role in the history of star formation, primarily due to its production during Big Bang nucleosynthesis, which converted about 25% of the universe's hydrogen into helium. While stars can form without helium, its presence has influenced the rate of star formation and the overall structure of the universe. The existence of helium means stars formed more quickly, contributing to the current cosmic landscape. Although helium is not essential for star formation, its historical presence has shaped the evolution of the universe. Understanding helium's role provides insight into cosmic development and stellar evolution.
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Why do we need helium for star formation?
 
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Who said we did? Stars would work fine without helium. Of course, Big Bang nucleosynthesis converted ~25% of the universe' hydrogen (by weight) to helium, so stars inevitably form with a large amount of helium. But it's not "needed".
 
It's not needed but it is part of the history of our universe. The stars in our universe would have formed slower if there was no helium around and the universe today would look very different if there had not been a small quantity of helium, but no, it is not essential to star formation.
 

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