The origins of heavy elements such as gold have always been one of the greatest mysteries of astrophysics. A study now provides clues about the origins of the precious metal universe.
Scientists have found that highly magnetic neutron stars, called Magnetars, may produce gold in the universe.
Here is more information about this study:
Archive data analysis of space missions shows that a large number of heavy metals, including gold, come from giant flares of magnets, including gold, according to a study published in the April 29 letter to Astrophysics.
Anirudh Patel, a PhD student in the Department of Physics at Columbia University in New York, led the study, which used 20-year-old archival telescope data from NASA and the European Space Agency telescope to study how heavy elements such as iron and gold are created and distributed throughout the universe.
"It's a very basic question in terms of the origin of complex matter in the universe," Patel said in an article on the NASA website. "It's an interesting puzzle that is actually unsolved."
The authors estimate that magnetic giant flares may contribute up to 10% of the overall abundance in the Milky Way, which are heavier than iron.
The co-authors of the study are affiliated with Columbia University, Charles University in the Czech Republic, Louisiana State University, the Flat Iron Institute in New York and Ohio State University.
Magnets are highly magnetized neutron stars, which means their magnetic field is very powerful. When a giant star explodes, it leaves behind a very dense, collapsed core, which is called a neutron star.
According to study co-author Eric Burns, the theory of astronomy came after the first stars about 13.6 billion years ago. The Big Bang created the universe 13.8 billion years ago.
In rare cases, magnets can release high-energy radiation by performing "star-magnesium". Like an earthquake, star rocks may break the magnet's shell. Sometimes, Magnetar Starquakes brings Magnetar Giant Flare, a rare explosion that releases gamma rays.
The researchers found that magnets release material during giant flares. However, they have no physical explanation for this.
Researchers speculate whether the magnetic giant flare forms gold through a rapid process of neutrons, forging the lighter nucleus into heavier nuclei. The identity of an element is defined by the number of protons it has. However, if an atom acquires additional neutrons, it may undergo nuclear decay, thus turning the neutron into protons.
Changing the number of protons can change the identity of an element. Neutron stars have extremely high neutron density. If a neutron star is destroyed, then singular atoms can quickly capture many neutrons and undergo multiple attenuations. This leads to the formation of heavier elements such as uranium.
Prior to this study, the creation of gold was attributed only to neutron star collisions or the Kironovans. When astronomers observed a collision of neutron stars through a telescope in 2017, they found that the collision could produce heavy elements such as gold, platinum and lead. However, these collisions are considered relatively late in the history of the universe over the past billions of years.
However, previously incredible archival telescopic data suggest that magnetic giant flares formed earlier. Therefore, research shows that the first gold may be made of a giant magnetic flare.
NASA's mission is about to be underway and these results can be followed up. Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a gamma-ray telescope that is expected to be launched in 2027.
COSI will study vibrant phenomena in the Milky Way and beyond, such as giant magnet flares. According to the NASA website, COSI can identify individual elements created in giant flares, thus helping to have a better understanding of the origin of the elements.