Gold Rush Reimagined: Scientists Solve Century's Biggest Mystery

Scientists might have pinpointed where gold emerged from in the early universe, as indicated by a recent study. Investigators disclosed that intense bursts originating from neutron stars With powerful magnetic fields – known as "magnetars" – might have begun producing gold after the Big Bang Much sooner than previously believed. The research outcomes were published on Tuesday, April 29, in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Confusion surrounded the origin of the vast quantities of gold within the universe. While experts knew that collisions between collapsed stars and black holes release heavy elements, it wasn’t until 2017 that astronomers witnessed something unprecedented: the merging of two ultra-dense remnants called neutron stars. This event marked the first direct observation of such phenomena.

The massive collision, occurring 130 million light-years distant, released a burst of light carrying traces of heavy elements such as platinum and an astounding quantity of gold, according to the report. Live Science .

The 2017 occurrence failed to shed light on the formation of valuable materials and other heavy elements during the universe's formative years, as insufficient time had elapsed for neutron star collisions to take place.

Currently, scientists think they might have finally unraveled how gold along with other heavy elements were initially formed and dispersed throughout space. This answers, as one professor puts it, “one of the questions of the century”.

Magnetars have been around since the dawn of the universe, and as per observations, NASA statement The researchers behind the study suggest that these formations might be responsible for as much as 10% of all elements heavier than iron within our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Scientists utilized two-decades-old information from NASA Using ESA telescopes to unravel the origin of gold and heavy elements concealed within the cosmos.

A 2024 study narrowed down the research focus to stars after revealing that magnetar giant flares—bursts of radiation emitted during 'starquakes'—can dislodge matter from the crusts of neutron stars and propel them into space.

The most recent magnetar giant flare detected from our planet occurred in 2004. At that time, researchers noticed a faint gamma-ray burst but were uncertain about its origin, according to Eric Burns, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University.

Scientists aim to uncover additional hints within previous magnetar giant flare records. The COSI mission from NASA, scheduled for launch around 2027, intends to build upon these findings once operational.