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Magnetars’ strong flares forge gold and other heavy elements
- Powerful flares from magnetars, compact, dead stars with intense magnetic fields, have been found to create heavy elements like gold and platinum.
- A single flare from magnetar SGR 10.18106–20 in 2004 is believed to have produced a significant amount of heavy elements, potentially equal to a third of Earth’s mass.
- Magnetar flares now join neutron star mergers and supernovas as major sources of heavy elements in the universe.
- Astronomers discovered that powerful flares from magnetars can generate up to 10% of heavy elements in our galaxy.
- Neutron stars, magnetars with intense magnetic fields, have been identified as a new mechanism for creating heavy elements like gold and platinum.
- Astronomers are now able to directly observe the creation of heavy elements in magnetar flares, expanding understanding of element production in extreme environments.
- Magnetar flares present a third way to create heavy elements, in addition to neutron capture processes in stars and neutron star mergers.
- The study provides evidence that magnetar flares, through the rapid neutron capture process, contribute significantly to the production of heavy elements.
- Further observations of magnetar flares are crucial to determine the exact contribution of these events to heavy element creation in the universe.
- The launch of the Compton Spectrometer and Imager mission in 2027 by NASA aims to gather more data on magnetar flares and their role in element formation.
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