Astronomers witnessed the collision of two neutron stars that produced the smallest black hole ever discovered and created valuable elements. (OS SALAFIA, G. GHIRLANDA, CXC/NASA, GSFC, B. WILLIAMS ET AL)
Astronomers witnessed a powerful collision between two neutron stars. The collision resulted in the birth of the smallest black hole ever discovered and created valuable metals, such as gold, silver and uranium.
This team of scientists managed to record the powerful moment of the collision, which occurred 130 million light years from Earth in the galaxy NGC 4993. This image was taken using various instruments, including the Hubble Space Telescope, and is expected to provide a picture of “the past, the present, and the future” of these extremely dense mergers of dead stars. This discovery could also reveal the origin of elements heavier than iron, which cannot form even in giant stars.
Neutron star collisions and mergers produce powerful bursts of light known as “kilonovas.” As the remnants of this event spread almost as fast as light, the kilonova illuminated its surroundings with light as bright as hundreds of millions of suns.
A research team led by scientists from the Cosmic DAWN Center at the Neils Bohr Institute arrived at a new picture of neutron star mergers as they investigated the mystery of the kilonova.
“We can now see the moment when atomic nuclei and electrons come together in the afterglow,” said team member Rasmus Damgaard, a researcher at the Cosmic DAWN Center, in a statement. “For the first time, we can see the creation of atoms, measure the temperature of matter, and witness the microphysics in these distant explosions.”
“It’s like admiring the cosmic background radiation that surrounds us from all sides, but here we see everything from the outside. We can see before, during and after the moment of the atom’s birth.”
The gold in your jewelry comes from the most powerful event in the universe. Neutron stars form when a star with a mass at least 8 times greater than the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and is no longer able to withstand its own gravity.
The outer layers of these stars collapse in a supernova explosion, leaving a core with the equivalent mass of 1 to 2 suns compressed into a diameter of about 20 kilometers.
The destruction of the nucleus forces electrons and protons to combine, creating a sea of particles called neutrons. This material is so dense that just one cubic of sugar from neutron star material would weigh 1 billion tonnes if brought to Earth, the equivalent of cramming 150 million elephants into a cubic of sugar.
It’s no surprise that this extreme and exotic material played an important role in creating elements heavier than iron.
Neutron stars don’t always live alone. Some of these dead stars occupy binary systems together with their living companion stars. In rare cases, the star pair is also massive enough to create a neutron star, and is not “thrown out” by the supernova explosion that created the first neutron star.
The result is a system with two neutron stars orbiting each other. These objects are so dense that as they rotate around each other, they produce ripples in space-time (the four-dimensional union of space and time) called gravitational waves that propagate through space, carrying angular momentum.
As angular momentum is lost, the neutron star’s orbit becomes denser, bringing the two neutron stars closer to each other. This makes the gravitational waves stronger and faster, carrying more angular momentum.
This situation ends when the neutron stars get close enough that their immense gravity pulls on each other and causes the two dead stars to collide and merge.
This collision ejected neutron-rich material with a temperature of billions of degrees, thousands of times hotter than the sun. This temperature is very hot, similar to the temperature of the rapidly expanding universe one second after the Big Bang.
Ejected particles such as electrons and neutrons swirl around the objects produced by these neutron star collisions, which then quickly collapse to form black holes in a cloud of plasma that cools over the next few days.
The atoms in this cooling plasma cloud quickly capture free neutrons through the fast neutron capture process (r process) and also capture free electrons. This creates very heavy but unstable particles that decay quickly. This decay produces light that astronomers see as kilonovae, while creating elements that are lighter but still heavier than iron, such as gold, silver and uranium.
The team looked at the afterglow from the captured particles to form heavy elements such as Strontium and Yttrium, arguing that other heavy elements must have also formed as a result of these neutron star collisions.
“Matter expands so quickly and grows so rapidly that it takes hours for light to travel through the explosion,” said team member Kasper Heintz, a researcher at the Niels Bohr Institute. ‘This is why, just by observing the far edge of the fireball, we can see further into the history of the explosion. Near us, electrons have merged with atomic nuclei, but on the other side, on the far side of the newborn black hole,’ the present’ is still the future.”
The team’s results would not have been possible without the collaboration of telescopes around the world and in space.
“This astrophysical explosion is growing rapidly by the hour, so that no single telescope can follow the whole story. The telescope’s view of this event is hindered by the Earth’s rotation,” team leader and researcher at the Neils Bohr Institute, Albert Sneppen, said in the statement .
“However, by combining existing measurements from Australia, South Africa and the Hubble Space Telescope, we can follow the development of this event in great detail.” (Space/Z-3)
The Spectacular Collision of Neutron Stars: A Cosmic Showdown!
Alright, folks! Grab your telescopes or just your favorite snack because we’re diving into a cosmic event that’s out of this world—literally! Astronomers have caught a glimpse of a titanic tussle between two neutron stars, resulting in the birth of the smallest black hole ever discovered. And if that wasn’t enough to make you reconsider your career choices from teaching, this catastrophic clash has also spun out some rather shiny elements—yep, we’re talking gold, silver, and uranium. It’s practically a cosmic jewelry store out there!
Welcome to the Kilonova: More Drama than Your Soap Opera
So, where was this huge spectacle happening? Only a casual 130 million light years away in the galaxy NGC 4993. You might need a pretty powerful telescope to see that explosion from your back garden. The Hubble Space Telescope was on the scene, of course, snapping photos like a paparazzo at a celebrity wedding. Their findings promise to give us insight into the origins of elements heavier than iron. You know, just your regular afternoon galaxy gossip.
Astronomers refer to these neutron star collisions as “kilonovas.” Quite a catchy name if you ask me! Picture this: the remnants of exploding neutron stars fuse together so violently that they produce light brighter than hundreds of millions of suns. It’s like the universe thought, “Hey, let’s throw a rave!”
From Dust to Dazzle: The Spark of Creation
One of the researchers, Rasmus Damgaard, chimed in with some cosmic poetry, saying, “For the first time, we can see the creation of atoms.” That’s right, it’s like we’ve all been invited to the biggest elemental birth party ever! The particles involved are hotter than your ex-boyfriend’s temper—billions of degrees hotter, to be precise! Imagine temperatures rivaling what we observed one second after the Big Bang. Talk about a hot mess!
Now, let’s talk about how your fancy jewelry gets its sparkle. The outer layers of dying stars go out with a bang, forming neutron stars that are so dense that just a sugar-cube-sized piece of them would weigh as much as 150 million elephants! Not your typical heavy lifting at the gym, eh?
It’s Complicated: Neutron Stars Don’t Just Go Solo
Remember, neutron stars aren’t lone wolves. Sometimes they tango with a living companion star, forming a double date in the cosmos. When two neutron stars do collide, they send ripples through space-time—like a cosmic splash page for a new Marvel superhero. This is called gravitational waves, folks, and they essentially send out an invitation for curious scientists to join the fray.
After the fireworks, these neutron-rich materials cool off, and—boom!—the magic happens! Our friendly neighborhood elements, such as Strontium and Yttrium, come to life, and scientists argue that plenty of heavy elements galore must be forming from these neutron star collisions.
A Team Effort: The Astrophysical Avengers
Of course, none of this stellar spectacle could have happened without a global team effort. The collaboration of telescopes around the globe—like those in Australia and South Africa—was crucial. After all, this heavenly explosion was expanding faster than a toddler in a candy store, so you need all hands on deck to catch every moment.
In conclusion, what we’ve learned today is that the universe has a flair for the dramatic. Not only does it create black holes and precious metals in epic cosmic events, but it also gives us nerdy astronomers something to obsess over, while simultaneously reminding us that we might just be stardust in a very fancy universe!
Neutron star vs black hole
Ion star, creating binary systems that can lead to even more explosive outcomes. In these scenarios, when both stars are massive enough, they can each become neutron stars. Once formed, these binary neutron stars will orbit each other so intensely that they create ripples in the very fabric of space-time known as gravitational waves. These waves are a sign of their dance, losing angular momentum and spiraling closer together until, bam!—they collide in a spectacular cosmic finale.
The Cosmic Birth of Elements: Gold and Beyond
This collision is not just a sight to behold; it’s a workshop for creating the universe’s most coveted elements. As the stars collide, they eject neutron-rich material at temperatures soaring into the billions of degrees—precisely the kind of setting needed for the creation of heavy elements through rapid neutron capture (the r-process). These elements can include not just gold and silver but also uranium, giving rise to the very substances that make up our universe’s treasures.
The aftermath is a dazzling light show known as a kilonova. As energy from the explosion radiates outward, astronomers observe it as particles undergo fusion and break apart into lighter elements, illuminating the cosmos in a glow that can outshine entire galaxies.
Gravitational Waves: Listening to the Cosmos
Just as we marvel at the light emitted from these titanic neutron star collisions, we’re also tuning into space’s symphony of gravitational waves. These waves provide a different method of exploring such cosmic events, adding a rich layer to our understanding of the universe. By observing the interplay of light and gravitational waves from these explosive phenomena, we gather a holistic view of the cataclysmic events that shape our cosmos.
A Global Collaboration: Watching the Show
This recent research effort wasn’t accomplished in isolation. It required the collective prowess of astronomers across the globe, employing telescopes from Australia to South Africa and leveraging the power of the Hubble Space Telescope. This collaborative effort allowed scientists to witness the rapid unfolding of the kilonova and gather significant insights into the chemistry of stellar explosions and the formation of heavy elements.
Conclusion: The Universe’s Explosive Creativity
As we continue to explore these cosmic phenomena, we tantalizingly inch closer to unlocking the mysteries of our universe. The kilonova events serve as a vivid reminder that even in the most catastrophic collisions, there’s an intricate dance of creation taking place. Elements forming in the heart of chaos, stars collapsing, and black holes being born connect us to the very fabric of existence. So next time you wear your favorite piece of jewelry, remember that it might just be forged from the ashes of titanic neutron star collisions—cosmic bling that ties you directly to the universe’s spectacular tapestry!
