Neutron collisions are cosmic events of immense power that have the ability to forge some of the universe’s most precious elements, including gold. These astronomical phenomena provide a unique ...

An artistic rendering of a magnetar—or highly magnetized neutron star—losing material into space. The magnetic field lines, shown in green, direct the movement of charged material. NASA / JPL-Caltech ...

Scientists now believe highly magnetised neutron stars, or magnetars, are a significant source of gold and other heavy ...

Primordial nucleosynthesis during the early universe generated hydrogen, helium, and minor lithium-7 before the cosmos cooled, halting further fusion. Stellar interiors synthesize elements up to iron ...

Neutron stars are formed when giant stars run out of fuel. Their internal pressure is no longer sufficient to fight gravity, and the resulting collapse and supernova explosion leaves a tiny core, with ...

But most of the gold on Earth isn’t in our hands; it’s deep underground. During the planet’s formation, heavy elements like gold and platinum sank toward the molten iron core. Geologists estimate that ...

Giant flares blasted out of supermagnetized stars called "magnetars" could forge planets' worth of gold and other heavy elements such as platinum and uranium. This is the conclusion of an ...