The diverse elements of the periodic table are synthesized from primordial hydrogen and helium during the lives and deaths of massive stars.  By combining observations at infrared and millimeter-wave bands, our international team has identified some of the earliest direct instances of these synthesized elements “leaking” out of nascent galaxies in the very early universe. The millimeter-wave radio telescope identified the early galaxies, while the infrared observations revealed evidence that chemically pristine intergalactic surroundings were already “polluted” with carbon when the universe was just 7% of its present age. The pollution is likely to derive from explosive debris of supernovae that were energetic enough to escape the gravitational pull of the galaxies where the elements were first forged.

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Full listing of authors and their affiliations:

• Lead author: Daichi Kashino: Nagoya University
• Anna-Christina Eilers: MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
• Robert A. Simcoe: MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
• Simon J. Lilly: ETH Zurich
• Rongmon Bordoloi: North Carolina State University
• Ruari Mackenzie: ETH Zurich
• Jorryt Matthee: ETH Zurich