Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have traced an extremely bright gamma-ray burst (GRB), known as a kilonova. This is a violent collision between two neutron stars.
This rare cosmic explosion, called a kilonova, is so powerful that it can generate gold, platinum, and uranium in the universe.
The Death of Two Neutron Stars
A kilonova occurs when two neutron stars—massive collapsed stars—gravitationally orbit each other and eventually collide.
The impact produces a powerful explosion known as a gamma-ray burst, followed by a surge of ultraviolet, infrared, and X-ray energy.
This particular explosion has been designated by NASA as GRB 230307A.
The energy released by the explosion can be detected by remote sensors both on Earth and in space.
Gold Forged from the Stars
Nearly all elements are formed within stars, as the Big Bang (a physical theory describing the expansion of the universe from a high-density, high-temperature state) only created helium, hydrogen, and lithium.
More complex elements, such as carbon and oxygen, must be produced through nuclear fusion at millions of degrees inside stars.
However, heavy elements like gold and uranium require extreme conditions to form—conditions that only arise in rare events such as neutron star collisions.
Theoretically, these elements are produced through a mechanism called neutron capture, or the r-process, which allows atomic nuclei to absorb neutrons and form new, heavier elements—including gold, platinum, and uranium.
The r-process can only occur in extreme and violent conditions, such as those found around colliding neutron stars.
Observing the Cosmic Explosion
The research team utilized JWST to track the journey of the neutron stars before their explosion. They were part of a binary star system within a spiral galaxy. One of these stars exploded in a supernova, leaving behind a neutron star, and the same process happened to the other star.
For decades, astronomers have been working to determine the chemical elements created in cosmic explosions. The detection of more kilonovae in the future, using highly sensitive telescopes like JWST and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (set to launch in 2027), could provide crucial insights into how heavy elements are formed and distributed in these rare explosions.
Scientists are also searching for additional mergers that generate gamma-ray bursts to understand their causes and whether there is any correlation between these bursts and the elements produced in the process.
