Somewhere in the depths of space, a mystery glowed quietly for decades. Now, with the help of dusty old data and a fresh perspective, scientists might have found where our gold jewellery and platinum phones really began.
A new study led by Columbia University doctoral student Anirudh Patel suggests that magnetars – highly magnetised neutron stars – could have helped forge and spread elements heavier than iron, like gold, across the universe. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the work shows magnetar flares may have played a far bigger role than expected.
A puzzle hiding in plain sight
The universe began with mostly hydrogen, helium, and tiny amounts of lithium. Heavier elements came later, forged in stars and scattered across galaxies. But how the first gold, platinum or uranium formed has remained unclear.
“It’s a fun puzzle that hasn’t actually been solved,” said Patel, whose team turned to nearly 20-year-old data from ESA and NASA telescopes. They believe giant magnetar flares could account for up to 10% of the galaxy’s heavy elements. As magnetars formed early, they may have created some of the universe’s first gold.
Eric Burns, a co-author from Louisiana State University, said it was like solving a century-old riddle using forgotten observations. These flares come from magnetars, a rare type of neutron star with a powerful magnetic field. Just a teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh billions of tonnes on Earth.
Occasionally, these stars crack open in “starquakes” that release intense energy. These events can also launch magnetar flares, which even affect Earth's atmosphere. Scientists have observed only a handful of such flares in our galaxy and nearby regions.
Patel, along with advisor Brian Metzger and others, wondered if these violent events could forge heavy elements. Their theory relies on a rapid process where neutrons slam into atomic nuclei, making them grow.
Finding signals from the past
When atoms gather too many neutrons, they can decay and gain protons. This bumps them up the periodic table, turning a gold atom into mercury, and sometimes even heavier elements like uranium. This process needs a neutron-rich setting, something found during magnetar flares.
In 2017, scientists saw two neutron stars collide and produce heavy elements. But such collisions happen too late to explain early gold. Recent work by co-authors Jakub Cehula, Todd Thompson and Metzger suggested that magnetar flares might instead be the missing source.
At first, Metzger’s team thought visible and ultraviolet light would hold clues. But Burns asked if gamma rays might leave a clearer trail. They checked and found it possible. He then revisited data from the 2004 magnetar flare and discovered a mysterious gamma-ray signal recorded by ESA’s now-retired INTEGRAL satellite.
The signal matched the team’s predictions. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else for the next week,” said Patel, recalling his excitement.
Further support came from two other missions: NASA’s RHESSI and the Wind satellite, both of which had also observed the same flare.
Looking ahead to future flares
The discovery has opened a new door in astrophysics. NASA’s upcoming COSI mission, set to launch in 2027, could confirm these results. This wide-field gamma-ray telescope will look closely at cosmic explosions like magnetar flares, potentially identifying specific elements created during the chaos.
Researchers are also combing through other archives, hoping more forgotten data will reveal similar secrets.
“It’s very cool to think about how some of the stuff in my phone or my laptop was forged in this extreme explosion,” said Patel, reflecting on the cosmic journey from magnetars to modern tech.
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