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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology pp 1–2Cite as

Abundances of Elements

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Definition

The relative amount (or fraction) of a given nuclide in a sample of matter is called the abundance of that nuclide. It can be expressed either in absolute terms (i.e., with respect to the total amount of matter in the sample) or in relative terms (with respect to the amount of some key element, e.g., the most abundant one, in the sample). Similarities and differences in the elemental and isotopic composition of stars and galaxies are key ingredients for understanding their origin and evolution.

Overview

The composition of remote objects (the Sun, stars, interstellar gas, and galaxies) is determined through spectroscopy, which usually allows the determination of elemental abundances; in rare cases, particularly for interstellar clouds, some isotopic abundances may be determined in those objects. For Earth, lunar, and meteoritic samples, nuclear mass spectroscopy allows precise determination of most isotopic abundances; this is also the case for cosmic rays, albeit only for...

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References and Further Reading

  • Asplund M, Grevesse N, Sauval AJ, Scott P (2009) The chemical composition of the sun. Ann Rev Astron Astrophys 47:481–522

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lodders K (2003) Solar system abundances and condensation temperatures of the elements. Astrophys J 591:1220–1247

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, 98bis Bd Arago, 75014, Paris, France

    Nikos Prantzos

Authors
  1. Nikos Prantzos
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Correspondence to Nikos Prantzos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Prantzos, N. (2014). Abundances of Elements. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_10-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_10-4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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