Answer to Basic Question of Origin of Life

Researchers use Jülich supercomputer JUGENE to calculate carbon nucleus of central significance

Jülich, Bonn, Bochum, 12 May 2011 – A certain form of the carbon nucleus plays a decisive role in the formation of carbon – the basis of life – originating in the stars. Scientists from Forschungszenrum Jülich and the University of Bonn and also from Bochum University and North Carolina State University have now calculated this legendary carbon nucleus. To do so they used the Jülich supercomputer JUGENE. This calculation solved a problem that had puzzled science for more than 50 years. The researchers are publishing their results in the forthcoming edition of the journal Physical Review Letters.

Publication

E. Epelbaum, H. Krebs, D. Lee, Ulf-G. Meißner, Ab initio calculation of the Hoyle state, Physical Review Letters, 2011. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.192501
http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v106/i19/e192501