{"id":770391,"date":"2023-10-25T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=770391"},"modified":"2023-10-25T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T15:00:00","slug":"nasas-webb-makes-first-detection-of-heavy-element-from-star-merger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=770391","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Webb Makes First Detection of Heavy Element From Star Merger"},"content":{"rendered":"

Webb\u2019s study of the second-brightest gamma-ray burst ever seen reveals tellurium.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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A team of scientists has used multiple space and ground-based telescopes, including NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, NASA\u2019s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, and NASA\u2019s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, to observe an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst, GRB 230307A, and identify the neutron star merger that generated an explosion that created the burst. Webb also helped scientists detect the chemical element tellurium in the explosion\u2019s aftermath.<\/p>\n

Image: Gamma-Ray Burst 230307A <\/h2>\n
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\"Bright<\/figure>
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This image from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument highlights Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) 230307A and its associated kilonova, as well as its former home galaxy, among their local environment of other galaxies and foreground stars. The GRB likely was powered by the merger of two neutron stars. The neutron stars were kicked out of their home galaxy and traveled the distance of about 120,000 light-years, approximately the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy, before finally merging several hundred million years later.<\/div>\n
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Levan (Radboud University and University of Warwick).<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Other elements near tellurium on the periodic table \u2013 like iodine, which is needed for much of life on Earth \u2013 are also likely to be present among the kilonova\u2019s ejected material. A kilonova is an explosion produced by a neutron star merging with either a black hole or with another neutron star.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust over 150 years since Dmitri Mendeleev wrote down the periodic table of elements, we are now finally in the position to start filling in those last blanks of understanding where everything was made, thanks to Webb,\u201d said Andrew Levan of Radboud University in the Netherlands and the University of Warwick in the UK, lead author of the study.<\/p>\n

While neutron star mergers have long been theorized as being the ideal \u201cpressure cookers\u201d to create some of the rarer elements substantially heavier than iron, astronomers have previously encountered a few obstacles in obtaining solid evidence.<\/p>\n

Long Gamma-Ray Burst<\/h2>\n

Kilonovae are extremely rare, making it difficult to observe these events. Short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), traditionally thought to be those that last less than two seconds, can be byproducts of these infrequent merger episodes. (In contrast, long gamma-ray bursts may last several minutes and are usually associated with the explosive death of a massive star.)<\/p>\n

The case of GRB 230307A is particularly remarkable. First detected by Fermi<\/a> in March, it is the second brightest GRB observed in over 50 years of observations, about 1,000 times brighter than a typical gamma-ray burst that Fermi observes. It also lasted for 200 seconds, placing it firmly in the category of long duration gamma-ray bursts, despite its different origin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis burst is way into the long category. It\u2019s not near the border. But it seems to be coming from a merging neutron star,\u201d added Eric Burns, a co-author of the paper and member of the Fermi team at Louisiana State University.<\/p>\n

Opportunity: Telescope Collaboration<\/h2>\n

The collaboration of many telescopes on the ground and in space allowed scientists to piece together a wealth of information about this event as soon as the burst was first detected. It is an example of how satellites and telescopes work together to witness changes in the universe as they unfold.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the first detection, an intensive series of observations from the ground and from space, including with Swift<\/a>, swung into action to pinpoint the source on the sky and track how its brightness changed. These observations in the gamma-ray, X-ray, optical, infrared, and radio showed that the optical\/infrared counterpart was faint, evolved quickly, and became very red \u2013 the hallmarks of a kilonova.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis type of explosion is very rapid, with the material in the explosion also expanding swiftly,\u201d said Om Sharan Salafia, a co-author of the study at the INAF \u2013 Brera Astronomical Observatory in Italy. \u201cAs the whole cloud expands, the material cools off quickly and the peak of its light becomes visible in infrared, and becomes redder on timescales of days to weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image: Killanova \u2013 Webb vs Model<\/h2>\n
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\"Bright<\/figure>
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This graphic presentation compares the spectral data of GRB 230307A\u2019s kilonova as observed by NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope and a kilonova model. Both show a distinct peak in the region of the spectrum associated with tellurium, with the area shaded in red. The detection of tellurium, which is rarer than platinum on Earth, marks Webb\u2019s first direct look at an individual heavy element from a kilonova. <\/div>\n
Illustration: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI).<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

At later times it would have been impossible to study this kilonova from the ground, but these were the perfect conditions for Webb\u2019s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instruments to observe this tumultuous environment. The spectrum has broad lines<\/a> that show the material is ejected at high speeds, but one feature is clear: light emitted by tellurium, an element rarer than platinum on Earth.<\/p>\n

The highly sensitive infrared capabilities of Webb helped scientists identify the home address of the two neutron stars that created the kilonova: a spiral galaxy about 120,000 light-years away from the site of the merger.<\/p>\n

Prior to their venture, they were once two normal massive stars that formed a binary system <\/a>in their home spiral galaxy. Since the duo was gravitationally bound, both stars were launched together on two separate occasions: when one among the pair exploded as a supernova and became a neutron star<\/a>, and when the other star followed suit.<\/p>\n

In this case, the neutron stars remained as a binary system despite two explosive jolts and were kicked out of their home galaxy. The pair traveled approximately the equivalent of the Milky Way galaxy\u2019s diameter before merging several hundred million years later.<\/p>\n

Scientists expect to find even more kilonovae in the future due to the increasing opportunities to have space and ground-based telescopes work in complementary ways to study changes in the universe. For example, while Webb can peer deeper into space than ever before, the remarkable field of view of NASA\u2019s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope<\/a> will enable astronomers to scout where and how frequently these explosions occur.<\/p>\n

\u201cWebb provides a phenomenal boost and may find even heavier elements,\u201d said Ben Gompertz, a co-author of the study at the University of Birmingham in the UK. \u201cAs we get more frequent observations, the models will improve and the spectrum may evolve more in time. Webb has certainly opened the door to do a lot more, and its abilities will be completely transformative for our understanding of the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n

These findings have been published<\/a> in the journal Nature.<\/p>\n

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Media Contacts<\/h2>\n

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Laura\u00a0Betz<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a>
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.<\/p>\n

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Hannah Braun <\/strong>\u2013 hbraun@stsci.edu<\/a> , Christine Pulliam<\/em><\/strong><\/em> \u2013 cpulliam@stsci.edi<\/a>
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.<\/p>\n

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Downloads<\/h2>\n

Download full resolution images for this article<\/a><\/strong> from the Space Telescope Science Institute.<\/p>\n

Research results published<\/a> <\/strong> in the journal Nature.<\/p>\n

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Related Information<\/h2>\n

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Neutron Stars <\/a><\/strong>\u2013 https:\/\/universe.nasa.gov\/stars\/types\/#otp_neutron_stars<\/p>\n

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Universe\/Stars Basics <\/a><\/strong>\u2013 https:\/\/universe.nasa.gov\/stars\/basics\/<\/p>\n

Universe Basics <\/a><\/strong>\u2013<\/strong> https:\/\/universe.nasa.gov\/universe\/basics\/<\/p>\n

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More Webb News<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/latestnews\/<\/p>\n

More Webb Images<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/multimedia\/images\/<\/p>\n

Webb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/webb\/<\/p>\n

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En Espa\u00f1ol<\/h2>\n

Ciencia de la NASA<\/a><\/p>\n

NASA en espa\u00f1ol\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Space Place\u00a0para ni\u00f1os<\/a><\/p>\n

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