<p>Pretty sure Quasars were involved in increasing Galactic metallicity but is there evidence of quasar AGN's generating heavy elements, such as radioactive ones and shooting them across the universe in the relativistic jets? If there's no evidence is it theoretically possible?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-03T09:14:11.903Z
I'm inclined to say no because while quasar accretion disks and jets are very energetic they lack sufficient density and neutron rich environments to make heavy elements.  The quasar energy blast is probably more similar to the young universe.  Very hot, proton, electron, and photon abundant.   Maybe some antimatter, but not much fusion.   I remember reading that there's "not much fusion in an accretion disk" in an answer a while back, but I looked and can't find it right now.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-18T05:37:42.547Z
Thank you! That definitely clears it up for me in terms of the physics behind it.
Matias Nino
<quasars><galactic-evolution>
Can Quasars generate Heavy Elements?
Matias Nino
# Can Quasars generate Heavy Elements?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-01)

Pretty sure Quasars were involved in increasing Galactic metallicity but is there evidence of quasar AGN's generating heavy elements, such as radioactive ones and shooting them across the universe in the relativistic jets? If there's no evidence is it theoretically possible?

**Tags:** quasars, galactic-evolution

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm inclined to say no because while quasar accretion disks and jets are very energetic they lack sufficient density and neutron rich environments to make heavy elements.  The quasar energy blast is probably more similar to the young universe.  Very hot, proton, electron, and photon abundant.   Maybe some antimatter, but not much fusion.   I remember reading that there's "not much fusion in an accretion disk" in an answer a while back, but I looked and can't find it right now.  
> **username_0**: Thank you! That definitely clears it up for me in terms of the physics behind it.  

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