"Neutron Star Collisions: Unveiling the Birth of Precious Metals"
Researchers have examined the spectra from the kilonova AT2017gfo to investigate the presence of forged tin, which is a heavy element produced in violent cosmic collisions between neutron stars. By calculating energy levels and multipole transitions in singly ionized tin, the team generated an atomic data set that can be used for future astrophysical analysis. Although the specific feature they identified did not match the observed spectra, it can serve as a probe for future kilonova events, contributing to a better understanding of these explosive cosmic phenomena and the production of heavy elements in the Universe.