Tag

Heavy Elements

All articles tagged with #heavy elements

science12 days ago•2 min saved

Two Long Gamma-Ray Bursts Traced to Collapsing Neutron Stars

Los Alamos researchers analyzed two long-duration gamma-ray bursts detected by Fermi and concluded they originated from neutron stars collapsing into black holes (collapsars) rather than mergers, prompting a reevaluation of long GRB origins. Using NASA data and the Chicoma supercomputer, the study supports a collapsar-based explanation and suggests kilonova-driven heavy-element synthesis may be more varied than previously thought; upcoming gravitational-wave observations could further clarify the links between GRBs, kilonovae, and heavy-element production.

via Universe Today|

#collapsars #gamma-ray-bursts #heavy-elements

science1 month ago•37 min saved

Chemistry Unmasks a Spiral Galaxy’s Ancient History

Astronomers used chemical fingerprints from thousands of star-forming gas clouds in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 1365 to reconstruct its 12-billion-year growth by matching observations to about 20,000 galaxy simulations. They found a centrally formed, oxygen-rich core with slower outer-disk growth, likely shaped by mergers with smaller galaxies and late gas inflows. This chemical-archaeology approach opens a new way to study how distant galaxies assembled over cosmic time.

via Yahoo News Australia|

#heavy-elements #ngc-1365 #oxygen

space4 months ago•3 min saved

Giant Gamma-Ray Burst Found in a Tiny Dwarf Galaxy

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble traced a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 230906A) to a neutron-star merger inside a tiny dwarf galaxy, revealed by its placement in a long tidal tail; the finding shows such powerful explosions can occur in faint hosts and helps explain how heavy elements are dispersed into galactic outskirts.

via Gizmodo|

#dwarf-galaxies #gamma-ray-bursts #heavy-elements

space4 months ago•7 min saved

Breakthrough Neutron-Star Collision in Tiny Galaxy Reframes GRB Origins

Astronomers detected a neutron-star collision in a tiny, faint galaxy inside a 600,000-light-year gas stream, about 4.7 billion light-years away, challenging where such events occur and linking them to gamma-ray bursts and the production of heavy elements like gold and platinum, with observations from Fermi, Chandra, Swift, and Hubble.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#gamma-ray-bursts #heavy-elements #multi-telescope-observations

space4 months ago•6 min saved

Tiny Galaxy Hosts Rare Neutron-Star Collision in a Galactic Gas Stream

Astronomers using Chandra, Fermi, Swift and Hubble have pinpointed a neutron-star merger inside a tiny, faint galaxy embedded in a 600,000-light-year gas stream, likely created by a past galaxy collision. The event, GRB 230906A from 2023-09-06, helps explain gamma-ray bursts without obvious host galaxies and how heavy elements like gold and platinum can form and spread into galaxy outskirts.

via NASA (.gov)|

#galactic-gas-stream #gamma-ray-burst #heavy-elements

science9 months ago•3 min saved

Ghost Particles May Enhance Gold Yield in Neutron Star Collisions

Simulations show that neutrino flavor transformations during neutron star mergers significantly influence the production of heavy elements like gold and platinum, potentially increasing their yield and affecting gravitational wave brightness, highlighting the importance of including neutrino physics in astrophysical models.

via ScienceAlert|

#astrophysics #gold-production #heavy-elements

science11 months ago•2 min saved

Asteroid 33 Polyhymnia May Harbor Unknown Elements

A study suggests that asteroid 33 Polyhymnia may contain ultra-dense, possibly unknown heavy elements beyond the current periodic table, potentially classifying it as a Compact Ultradense Object (CUDO) with a composition that includes stable superheavy elements, which could have implications for space mining and our understanding of matter in the universe.

via IFLScience|

#asteroid #cudos #heavy-elements

science1 year ago•12 min saved

Physicists Uncover How Stars Create Heavy Elements

Scientists at Michigan's FRIB are experimentally recreating how heavy elements beyond iron are formed in stars, focusing on the intermediate neutron-capture process (i-process), which fills gaps in understanding of element formation like gold and platinum, using advanced isotope experiments to identify where and how these processes occur in stellar environments.

via Quanta Magazine|

#frib #heavy-elements #i-process

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Neutron Star Collisions: Cosmic Explosions and Element Creation

In 2017, scientists observed a kilonova explosion from colliding neutron stars, providing insights into the creation of heavy elements like strontium and yttrium. This event, similar to the Big Bang, involved a hot, expanding fireball where particles combined to form atoms, akin to the Universe's Epoch of Recombination. By analyzing data from multiple telescopes, researchers have detailed the kilonova's evolution, confirming its role as a source of heavy elements and offering a miniature model for studying early Universe processes.

via ScienceAlert|

#astrophysics #big-bang #heavy-elements

science2 years ago•4 min saved

"Unveiling the Mystery Source of Life's Essential Elements"

While gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are known to be the universe's most powerful explosions and potential sources of heavy elements, recent studies, including observations of the brightest GRB ever recorded (GRB 221009), suggest they may not be the primary source of these elements. The findings indicate that another, yet unidentified, source must be responsible for the abundance of heavy elements in the universe.

via Phys.org|

#gamma-ray-bursts #heavy-elements #neutron-stars

science2 years ago•4 min saved

"Unveiling the Mystery Source of Elements in the Universe"

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the universe's most powerful explosions, have been studied to understand the creation of heavy elements. While short GRBs from neutron star collisions have shown evidence of heavy element production, recent observations of the brightest long GRB, dubbed the BOAT, revealed no such elements. This suggests that GRBs may not be the primary source of the universe's heavy elements, indicating another unknown source.

via The Conversation Indonesia|

#gamma-ray-bursts #heavy-elements #james-webb-space-telescope

astronomy2 years ago•4 min saved

"Unraveling the Origins of the Brightest Cosmic Explosion: New Insights and Mysteries"

The most powerful space explosion ever recorded, GRB 221009A, was surprisingly ordinary in terms of its associated supernova, challenging previous expectations. Despite its extreme brightness, the explosion did not show signs of heavy element production, suggesting that extremely energetic gamma-ray bursts like the BOAT may not be responsible for creating these elements. Future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope will help determine if other gamma-ray bursts produce heavy elements.

via ScienceAlert|

#astronomy #black-hole #gamma-ray-burst

astronomy2 years ago•3 min saved

"Unraveling the Enigma: New Insights into Cosmic Explosions and Precious Metal Origins"

Researchers have determined that the extremely bright cosmic explosion known as the Brightest Of All Time (BOAT) was caused by a supernova, but found no signs of heavy elements like gold and platinum, deepening the mystery of their origins. The event, observed with the Webb Space Telescope, lasted 10 hours and emitted gamma-rays with energies reaching up to 13 teraelectronvolts. The findings challenge previous hypotheses about the production of heavy elements and point to alternative channels for their creation, prompting astronomers to rework their models of cosmic phenomena.

via Gizmodo|

#astronomy #cosmic-explosion #gamma-ray-burst

astronomy2 years ago•2 min saved

Cosmic Revelation: Ancient Stars Unleash Unprecedented Element Formation

Astronomers have discovered evidence of nuclear fission occurring in stars, providing insight into the formation of elements heavier than those found naturally on Earth. Previously, it was believed that such elements were created through cataclysmic events like neutron star mergers. However, new research suggests that fission, the process behind nuclear reactors on Earth, is also operating in the cosmos and contributing to the creation of heavy elements. This discovery could help explain the origin of elements with atomic masses over 260, which have not been detected in space or on Earth before.

via The Independent|

#astronomy #cosmology #elements

astronomy2 years ago•3 min saved

"Unprecedented Discovery: Stars Forge Elements Beyond Earth's Reach"

A new study provides the first compelling evidence of nuclear fission in the cores of massive stars, suggesting that elements heavier than iron, such as silver and gold, are formed through this process. The analysis of 42 ancient stars in the Milky Way reveals a consistent pattern of elements that are likely products of fission. This finding suggests that nature may forge elements with atomic masses greater than 260 before breaking them down again. The research provides "direct evidence" of this heavy-duty fission process, which has never been produced on Earth.

via Livescience.com|

#astronomy #heavy-elements #milky-way-stars