An artist’s illustration displays a kilonova created by the crash of two neutron stars. Image Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/Spaceengine
The gold present in your treasured jewelry could be a result of a tumultuous cosmic crash between two neutron stars, millions or billions of light years away. Recent research endeavors to delve deeper into this phenomenon.
The only identified location in the universe that can create conditions severe enough to set off the production of many of the densest elements, such as gold, platinum, and uranium, is the convergence of neutron stars. So far, these events are the sole observed phenomena capable of producing the astounding densities and temperatures necessary to initiate the rapid neutron capture process.
A fresh research article in The European Physical Journal D by Andrey Bondarev, a postdoc researcher at Helmholtz Institute Jena, James Gillanders, a postdoc researcher in Rome, along with their team, scrutinize the spectra from the kilonova AT2017gfo to detect the presence of synthesized tin, by observing the spectral features that result from its forbidden transitions.
“Accurate atomic data, specifically for forbidden magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole transitions which are undiscovered for many elements, play a vital role in kilonova analysis,” states Bondarev. “Through calculating numerous energy levels and rates of multipole transitions between them in singly ionized tin, by using a method combining linearised coupled-cluster and configuration interaction techniques, we developed an atomic dataset that could be beneficial for future astrophysical analysis.”
The group’s research indicates that a magnetic dipole transition between the ground-state doublet levels of singly ionized tin can cause a significant and detectable feature in the kilonova emission spectra.
“Even though this does not correspond with any significant features in the AT2017gfo spectra, it can be employed as a tool for upcoming kilonova events,” Gillanders clarifies. “The more elements we can positively identify, the closer we come to comprehending these extraordinary cosmic explosions.”
The team emphasizes that kilonovae are a fairly recent discovery, with the first spectroscopic observations recorded only in 2017. Improved atomic data, as presented in this study, will be vital for a better understanding of the explosive collisions associated with neutron star mergers.
“We aspire that our research will contribute, even if in a small way, to the progression of our understanding of the process that forms the heaviest elements in the Universe,” Gillanders concludes. “We are looking forward to discovering new kilonovae and corresponding new observation sets, which will aid us in expanding our understanding of these phenomena.”
Reference: “Calculations of multipole transitions in Sn II for kilonova analysis” by A. I. Bondarev, J. H. Gillanders, C. Cheung, M. S. Safronova, and S. Fritzsche, published on 3 July 2023, The European Physical Journal D. DOI: 10.1140/epjd/s10053-023-00695-5
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Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Neutron Star Collisions
What are the origins of heavy elements like gold, platinum, and uranium?
These heavy elements are believed to originate from the extreme conditions created by violent collisions between neutron stars, which are capable of producing the astounding densities and temperatures necessary to initiate the rapid neutron capture process.
Who conducted the research into neutron star collisions?
The research was conducted by a team led by Andrey Bondarev, a postdoc researcher at Helmholtz Institute Jena, and James Gillanders, a postdoc researcher in Rome.
What are they specifically examining in their research?
The research team is examining the spectra from the kilonova AT2017gfo to detect the presence of synthesized tin, by observing spectral features that result from its forbidden transitions.
What can this research help us understand?
This research can help us understand the process that forms the heaviest elements in the Universe, like gold, platinum, and uranium, which are believed to be forged in violent cosmic collisions between neutron stars.
Why are kilonova events significant?
Kilonova events, the result of neutron star collisions, are significant because they are the only observed phenomena capable of creating conditions severe enough to initiate the production of many of the densest elements in the universe.
More about Neutron Star Collisions
- Neutron Stars
- Kilonova
- The European Physical Journal D
- Helmholtz Institute Jena
- The Rapid Neutron Capture Process
- Neutron Star Collisions and Heavy Element Formation
