An international team of astrophysicists led by Italian scientists from the University of Rome Tor Vergata has discovered an alchemical process in space where gold and other precious metals form from lighter elements. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature.
Experts made this discovery by analyzing an unusually long (more than 200 seconds) burst of high-energy gamma radiation 8.3 million light-years from Earth. They found that the ejection was caused by the collision of two superdense neutron stars, an event known as a kilonova.
Observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope showed that the merging of these objects produced gold, silver, and other metals heavier than iron.
“Neutron star mergers could create an ideal environment for widespread synthesis of heavy elements that cannot currently be produced artificially,” said research team leader Dr Yu Hanyang.
According to scientists, the process they discovered is not a coincidence and allows us to better understand the formation mechanisms of various elements in the space environment.
Astrophysicists before I learnedHe said a collision between two neutron stars could threaten life on Earth.