elements tagged posts

Scientists have observed the creation of rare chemical elements in the second-brightest gamma-ray burst ever seen — casting new light on how heavy elements are made.

Researchers examined the exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A, which was caused by a neutron star merger. The explosion was observed using an array of ground and space-based telescopes, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

Publishing their findings today in Nature(25 Oct), the international research team which included experts from the Univ...

In order to better understand the history and evolution of the Milky Way, astronomers are studying the composition of the gases and metals that make up an important part of our galaxy. Three main elements stand out: the initial gas coming from outside our galaxy, the gas between the stars inside our galaxy—enriched with chemical elements –, and the dust created by the condensation of the metals present in this gas.

Until now, theoretical models assumed that these three elements were homogeneously mixed throughout the Milky Way and reached a level of chemical e...