How Did Heavy Metals Like Gold, Uranium Form? Research Says Answer Lies in Black Holes
A question that has often intrigued scientists is from where do all the heavy metals, including gold and uranium, come from? How did they originate? While all heavy metals have formed under extreme conditions inside stars or due to stellar explosions and collision of neutron stars, the question remains: when and why was the material ejected and whether heavy elements can be produced in any other way. Researchers now say that the synthesis of heavy elements is typical for certain black holes orbited by an accretion disc of dense and hot matter.
While a black hole is a region where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape from it, the accretion disc is composed of material which has come close to a black hole but not fallen into it. This system is formed by the merger of two massive neutron stars or during the collapse and explosion of a rotating star. Researchers from Germany’s GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research and their colleagues from Belgium and Japan said that the internal composition of such accretion discs has so far not been well understood.
“In our study, we systematically investigated for the first time the conversion rates of neutrons and protons for a large number of disc configurations by means of elaborate computer simulations, and we found that the discs are very rich in neutrons as long as certain conditions are met,” Dr Oliver Just, from the Relativistic Astrophysics group of GSI’s research division, told Phys.org.
Just said the decisive factor is the total mass of the disc, meaning the bigger the disc, the more often neutrons are formed and are available for the synthesis of heavy elements.
The study shows that the optimal disc mass for prolific production of heavy elements is about 0.01 to 0.1 solar masses. It provides strong evidence that neutron star mergers producing accretion discs with these exact masses could be the point of origin for a large fraction of the heavy elements. However, it is not yet clear whether and how frequently such accretion discs occur.
The findings have been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal.
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A towering spiral of plasma has been recorded extending millions of kilometres from the Sun. The video was taken by the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter during an eight-hour period on October 12, 2022. A coronal mass ejection caused the plasma to rise from the Sun’s surface. The footage captured something which was never observed before. It showed a swirling motion in the solar wind. As per the latest report, scientists also recorded bright streaks that were moving across the frame. Researchers also revealed that these streaks appeared as pixelated lines, which might also ressemble like UFOs. Scientists later confirmed they were distant stars visible due to the imaging process.
Study Identifies Plasma Formation as a Pseudostreamer
The study published in The Astrophysical Journal revealed that the massive structure that appeared in the photos was a large pseudostreamer. It was formed near the Sun’s north pole after a solar flare erupted. The report further highlighted that the plasma reached 1.5 times the Sun’s width and remained visible for three hours. Scientists believes the twisting movement of the plasma was due to Alfvénic fluctuations. These fluctuations happen when waves of charged particles respond to magnetic disturbances. Scientists says the pseudostreamer’s location influenced its unique shape. Magnetic fields at the Sun’s poles are stronger than those near the equator.
Unusual Streaks Explained
The video also showed bright, half-dark lines crossing the screen. These lines appeared to move in a pattern similar to arcade game graphics. ESA confirmed that these were distant stars. The video’s editing technique made them appear as streaks rather than points of light. The Solar Orbiter’s movement against the background created this effect.
Solar Activity Expected to Intensify
The Sun is currently experiencing solar maximum. Flares and solar winds have increased since early 2024. The pseudostreamer in the video formed before this peak. Scientists were surprised by its early appearance. ESA’s Solar Orbiter continues to capture detailed images of solar wind. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe and ESA’s Proba-3 mission are also studying these phenomena. More extreme solar winds are expected in the coming years.
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SpaceX has sent another batch of satellites into orbit. On April 3, a Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rocket lifted off at 9.02 p.m. Eastern Time and was followed by a successful landing of the first-stage booster on a drone ship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This booster had already been used on four earlier flights. The satellites are expected to be deployed nearly an hour after takeoff if mission steps proceed as planned. The launch formed part of SpaceX’s continued effort to expand its low Earth orbit network.
Details from the Launch Mission Description
According to the mission information provided by SpaceX, the launch marked the fifth use of the same Falcon 9 booster. The drone ship used for recovery was named “Of Course I Still Love You”. This reusable system has become a routine part of SpaceX operations. The booster’s return was completed around eight minutes after liftoff. The launch contributed to the growing total of Starlink satellites which is aimed at building a global broadband network.
Launch Activity in 2025
This latest mission has brought the number of Falcon 9 launches in 2025 to 38. About two-thirds of those have supported the expansion of the Starlink constellation. Earlier this week, two separate launches were also completed. One of them included the Fram2 private astronaut mission, which carried crew members into orbit over Earth’s poles. That mission marked a new milestone in human spaceflight.
Starlink Satellite Network
Over 7100 satellites are now part of the Starlink constellation. The system is already the largest of its kind. SpaceX continues to work on expanding its coverage by launching more satellites regularly. The objective remains to provide consistent internet access worldwide, especially in regions with limited connectivity options.
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