Heavy duty: artist’s impression of a kilonova releasing r-process elements into the cosmos. (Courtesy: ESO/L Calçada/M Kornmesser) The mystery of where heavy elements such as gold and silver come from ...

The heavy element strontium is created in the violent collision of a pair of neutron stars, according to a new study. It’s the first time scientists have detected the birth of a heavy element found on ...

Measurements on neutron-rich nuclei help to refine models of how heavy elements came into existence Models for how heavy elements are produced within stars have become more accurate thanks to ...

Most chemical elements heavier than helium were born in the death throes of stars; the explosive energy of a supernova is responsible for generating most of the contents of the periodic table. Now, a ...

Unstable atoms emit fast-moving particles that can damage cells in the human body. Some atoms are far more unstable than ...

(CNN) — Two years ago astronomers for the first time observed the collision of two neutron stars, which created gravitational waves and light and created heavy elements such as gold, platinum and lead ...

An artist’s impression of strontium emerging from a neutron star merger. ESO/L. Calçada/M. Kornmesser When massive neutron stars collide, they don’t only produce dazzling light, bursts of gamma rays, ...

For the first time, a freshly made heavy element, strontium, has been detected in space, in the aftermath of a merger of two neutron stars. This finding was observed by ESO’s X-shooter spectrograph on ...

The cosmic origins of elements heavier than iron are mysterious. One elemental birthplace came to light in 2017 when two neutron-rich dead stars collided and spewed out gold, platinum and other hefty ...

Precious elements may come from spinning neutron stars that have swallowed a tiny black hole and imploded. If true, this dramatically changes our understanding not only of how rare elements like gold ...

The 118 confirmed chemical elements in the universe have not all been there from the beginning. Some formed in the Big Bang, some are created in stars, and some we have only seen in the lab. Some ...

The heaviest elements in nature might be formed by one of the most catastrophic events in the universe, according to a new study by American researchers. The rest of this article is behind a paywall.