Physicists: Chevy Volt may be powered by black holes

[Steverino]

The lithium in your Volt batteries may have been ejected from a black hole. The spectra of the most ancient and pristine stars in our galaxy reveal abundances of the isotope lithium-7.7There has been a lingering question concerning the source of the lithium as well as the amount. Now researches have theorized that hundreds of thousands of black holes in our galaxy may produce substantial amounts of lithium-7. Matter surrounding some black holes may be hot enough to generate the lithium by nuclear fusion of pairs of helium nuclei, which could generate lithium.

While there are mysteries surrounding the amount of lithium in the universe, there is no mystery about the tremendous amount of fun there is driving a Chevy Volt.

http://physics.aps.org/articles/v5/77

Naturally occurring lithium is composed of two stable isotopes, lithium-6 (~92.5%) and lithium-7 (~7.5%).
LithiumBlackHole.jpg

[DonC]

Most interesting! Leave it to you to find articles like this.

[Steverino]

To think part of the Volt may have been created by a black hole is kind of exotic, freaky and cool at the same time. Of course, another part of my Volt came from a place not quite as exotic: San Diego!

[Tumblebug]

The lithium in your Volt batteries may have been ejected from a black hole. The spectra of the most ancient and pristine stars in our galaxy reveal abundances of the isotope lithium-7.7There has been a lingering question concerning the source of the lithium as well as the amount. Now researches have theorized that hundreds of thousands of black holes in our galaxy may produce substantial amounts of lithium-7. Matter surrounding some black holes may be hot enough to generate the lithium by nuclear fusion of pairs of helium nuclei, which could generate lithium.

While there are mysteries surrounding the amount of lithium in the universe, there is no mystery about the tremendous amount of fun there is driving a Chevy Volt.

http://physics.aps.org/articles/v5/77

Naturally occurring lithium is composed of two stable isotopes, lithium-6 (~92.5%) and lithium-7 (~7.5%).
Attachment 6293

Love it! Great stuff!!

[Henry_FL]

Everything that not hydrogen came from stars, the life cycle of a star creates ALL heavier elements.

[Steverino]

Everything that not hydrogen came from stars, the life cycle of a star creates ALL heavier elements.

That's one reason I found this interesting. At least some lithium-7 is apparently produced in the accretion disk that surrounds a black hole rather than being produced in a star.