The Cosmic Collision: Neutron Stars and Earth's Heavy Elements
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Chapter 1: The Origins of Heavy Elements
A catastrophic event in the cosmos, occurring approximately 4.6 billion years ago, is believed to be the source of some of Earth's heaviest elements — the very elements that form part of our biological makeup.
As Szabolcs Marka points out, if a similar cosmic incident were to happen today at a comparable distance from our solar system, the resulting radiation would illuminate the night sky like never before.
Astrophysicists Szabolcs Marka from Columbia University and Imre Bartos from the University of Florida have identified the collision of two neutron stars as the likely origin of these heavy elements. According to their research, this single event contributed to about 0.3 percent of the heaviest elements on Earth, including precious metals like gold and platinum, as well as uranium.
Bartos elaborates: “This implies that within each of us, there exists a minuscule amount of these elements, primarily in the form of iodine, which is vital for life.”
He further reflects on the human connection to these elements: “A wedding ring, symbolizing profound human relationships, also links us to our cosmic history, with an estimated 10 milligrams of gold likely formed 4.6 billion years ago.”
Although neutron star mergers are uncommon, the isotopes produced — which have short half-lives — have mostly disappeared from our solar system. However, some remnants can be found in high-temperature condensates located within meteorites, as noted by the researchers.
Bartos and Marka explain that these ancient meteorites contain traces of radioactive isotopes. As these isotopes decay, they act as timekeepers, allowing scientists to determine when they were formed.
To support their findings, the team compared the composition of meteorites to numerical simulations of the Milky Way. They concluded that a neutron star collision could have transpired roughly 100 million years before Earth came into existence, occurring in close proximity — approximately 1000 light yea