Extreme Helium Star

Extreme Helium Star Latest News

Researchers have uncovered a cosmic twist in a star named A980 that belongs to a rare class called Extreme Helium (EHe) stars, carrying a surprisingly high amount of germanium—a metallic element never before observed in this type of star.

About Extreme Helium Star

• It is a low-mass supergiant that is almost devoid of hydrogen.
• These rare and enigmatic stars seem to consist primarily of helium, rather than the ubiquitous hydrogen that makes up the bulk of typical stars such as the sun.
• EHe stars are thought to originate from the merger of a carbon-oxygen white dwarf with a less massive helium white dwarf.
• There are 21 of them detected so far in our galaxy.
• These have effective temperatures in the range of 8000-35000 K.
• The first extreme-helium star, HD 124448, was discovered at McDonald Observatory in Austin in 1942 by Daniel M. Popper of the University of Chicago.

Key Facts about Germanium

• It is a chemical element between silicon and tin in Group 14 (IVa) of the periodic table.
• It has the chemical symbol Ge and the atomic number 32.
• It is a silvery-gray metalloid, intermediate in properties between the metals and the nonmetals. 
• It has a diamondlike crystalline structure, and it is similar in chemical and physical properties to silicon. 
• Germanium is stable in air and water and is unaffected by alkalis and acids, except nitric acid.

Major Producers of Germanium

• The major worldwide producer of germanium is China, responsible for around 60% of total production. 
• The remaining production of germanium comes from Canada, Finland, Russia, and the United States.

Source: PIB