A recent study reveals that magnetars, highly magnetized neutron stars, could contribute to the creation of gold through explosive events known as giant flares.
The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on April 29, used 20-year-old archival data from NASA and European Space Agency telescopes to analyze how heavy elements, including gold, are formed. The study suggests magnetar flares could account for up to 10 percent of heavy elements in the galaxy.
What are magnetars and how do they create gold?
Magnetars are neutron stars with intense magnetic fields, formed from the collapsed core of massive stars after a supernova.
On rare occasions, these stars undergo “starquakes,” resulting in giant flares that release gamma rays and material into space. Researchers hypothesize that these flares might form gold by rapidly transforming lighter atomic nuclei into heavier ones through neutron capture, a process that could explain the early formation of gold, as opposed to the later neutron star collisions (kilonovas) previously thought to be responsible.
New insights and future research
Before this study, gold’s origin was mainly attributed to neutron star collisions observed in 2017.
However, the new findings suggest magnetar flares could have formed gold much earlier in the universe's history. With NASA's upcoming Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) mission in 2027, scientists hope to further explore magnetar flares and their role in the creation of elements, potentially providing more concrete answers.
Source: Al Jazeera
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