Physics - Viewpoint: Neutron-Star Implosions as Heavy-Element Sources
https://physics.aps.org/articles/v10/89
A dramatic scenario in which a compact black hole eats a spinning neutron star from inside might explain a nearby galaxy’s unexpectedly high abundance of heavy elements.
The lightest of the chemical elements—hydrogen, helium, and lithium—were created in the hot, early phase of the Universe, about a minute after the big bang. Heavier elements
were forged later—in the nuclear fires of many generations of stars and during supernova explosions. But the origin of many rare chemical species, particularly the heaviest
elements, remains uncertain. In particular, recent observations of a nearby galaxy enriched with heavy elements challenge traditional nucleosynthesis models. George Fuller
of the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues now propose a novel scenario for the origin of the heaviest elements, including gold, platinum, and uranium. Their
hypothesis involves tiny black holes inducing neutron-star implosions and, if viable, would in one fell swoop offer solutions to other astrophysical riddles beyond heavy element
synthesis.
