The speaker: Sophie Van Eck

Sophie Van Eck is a Professor at the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of ULB. Her research focuses on the chemical composition of stars—particularly evolved red giant stars—as well as stellar binarity. Her field of expertise is therefore stellar astrophysics.
After completing her PhD at the Faculty of Sciences of the Université libre de Bruxelles, Sophie Van Eck pursued a postdoctoral position at the European headquarters (Munich) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). She then returned to ULB, where she held a postdoctoral position followed by a role as a qualified researcher with the FNRS. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Physics within the Faculty of Sciences at ULB.
 

We Are Made of Stars: The Cosmic Origin of the Elements

Stars are the universe’s great alchemists, forging the elements that make up the periodic table.
At late stages of their evolution,  they release these elements into space, enriching the Galaxy and shaping its chemical evolution. Although we still cannot answer the famous Drake equation, astrophysicists are gradually uncovering pieces of the puzzle: how stars create the elements and how those elements spread through the Galaxy. In this talk, we will explore how stellar factories shape the chemical evolution of the Galaxy and produce the ingredients needed for life as we know it.

5 questions:

- Who discovered what stars are really made of, and why did it take years for her results to be accepted?
- Can a star weigh less than the Sun and still reshape the periodic table?
- How do some stars become cosmic jewelry makers?
- Who makes the universe’s lead?
- Do we know how (metal-)poor the universe can be and still afford life?