Have scientists solved the mystery of gold’s origin in the universe?

The origins of heavy elements such as gold have been one of the biggest mysteries of astrophysics. A study has now provided a clue about the precious metal’s cosmic origins.

Scientists have found that explosions in highly magnetised neutron stars, called magnetars, could have created gold in the universe.

Here is more about the study:

Analysis of archival data from space missions shows that a large amount of heavy metals, including gold, come from giant flares from magnetars, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on April 29.

Anirudh Patel, a doctoral student at the Department of Physics at Columbia University in New York, led the study, which used 20-year-old archival telescope data from NASA and European Space Agency telescopes to investigate how heavy elements such as iron and gold were created and distributed throughout the universe.

“It’s a pretty fundamental question in terms of the origin of complex matter in the universe,” Patel was quoted as saying in an article on the NASA website. “It’s a fun puzzle that hasn’t actually been solved.”

The authors estimated that magnetar giant flares could contribute up to 10 percent of the overall abundance of elements in the galaxy that are heavier than iron.

Co-authors of the study are affiliated with Columbia University, Charles University in the Czech Republic, Louisiana State University, the Flatiron Institute in New York and Ohio State University.

A magnetar is a type of neutron star that is highly magnetised, which means its magnetic field is extremely powerful. When a massive star explodes, it leaves a very dense, collapsed core behind, which is called a neutron star.