The origins of heavy elements such as gold have been one of the greatest mysteries of astrophysics. A study has now provided an index on the cosmic origins of the precious metal.
Scientists discovered that explosions in highly magnetized neutron stars, called magnetars, could have created gold in the universe.
Here is more on the study:
What is the last discovery on the origins of gold?
The analysis of the archive data of space missions shows that a large amount of heavy metals, including gold, come from giant surveys of magnetars, according to a study published in Astrophysical newspaper letters April 29.
Anirudh Patel, a doctoral student in the Physics Department of Columbia University in New York, directed the study, which used 20 -year archive telescope data from NASA and the European Space Agency Telescopes to study how heavy elements such as iron and gold were created and distributed throughout the universe.
“This is a fairly fundamental question in terms of origin of complex material in the universe,” said Patel in an article on the NASA website. “It is a fun puzzle that has not been resolved.”
The authors estimated that the giant magnetar eruptions could contribute up to 10% of the overall abundance of elements of the galaxy heavier than iron.
The study co-authors are affiliated to Columbia University, Charles University in the Czech Republic, the State University of Louisiana, the Flatiron Institute in New York and Ohio State University.
What is a magnetar and how to form gold?
A magnetar is a type of neutron star which is very magnetized, which means that its magnetic field is extremely powerful. When a massive star explodes, it leaves a very dense and collapsed nucleus behind, which is called a neutron star.
Astronomers theorize that the first Aimtars were formed after the first stars approximately 13.6 billion years ago, according to the co -author of the study Eric Burns, assistant professor and astrophysicist at the State University of Louisiana in Red Baton. Big Bang created the universe 13.8 billion years ago.
On rare occasions, magnetars can free up high energy radiation by undergoing a “Startquake”. Like an earthquake, a star Quake can fracture the crust of the magnetar. Sometimes the magnetar blackberries bring with them a giant magnetar rocket, a rare explosive event that releases gamma rays.
The researchers found that the Aimtars released material during giant rashes. However, they have no physical explanation for this yet.
The researchers assumed whether the giant Magnetar thrusts have formed gold through the rapid process of neutrons forging lighter atomic nuclei in heavier. The identity of an element is defined by the number of protons it has. However, if an atom acquires an additional neutron, it can undergo a nuclear disintegration, which can transform a neutron into a proton.
A modified number of protons can modify the identity of the element. Neutron stars have an extremely high density of neutrons. If a neutron star is disturbed, singular atoms can quickly capture a number of neutrons and undergo several disintegrations. This leads to the formation of much heavier elements such as uranium.
Before this study, the creation of gold was only allocated to collisions of neutron stars, or kilonovas. When astronomers observed a collision of neutron stars in 2017 through telescopes, they found that the collision could create heavy elements such as gold, platinum and lead. However, these collisions would have occurred relatively later in the history of the universe, in the last billions of years.
However, the telescopic archive data, which were previously indecipherable, have shown that the giant magnetar rockets were formed much earlier. Consequently, the study indicates that the first gold could have been made from magnetary giant lighting rockets.
What is the next step?
NASA has an upcoming mission that can follow these results. The Compton spectrometer and the imaging (COSI) is a gamma ray telescope which should be launched in 2027.
Cosi will study the energy phenomena of the Milky Way and beyond, such as giant magnetary eruptions. According to the NASA website, Cosi could identify the individual elements created in giant enlightening rockets, contributing to a better understanding of the origin of the elements.