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New cosmic mystery. Why is the explosion resulting from the merger of neutron stars perfectly circular?
Scientists analyzed the kilonova data observed in 2017. The result brought a huge surprise. Contrary to theories, the explosion was symmetrical and had the shape of an almost perfect sphere.
The collision of neutron stars is one of the most spectacular events in the Universe. And — as is not often the case with cosmic phenomena — one whose effects accompany us every day. All we have to do is wear gold jewelry.
What is a kilonova?
Suppose we have a gold ring on our finger. How was the element of which it is composed formed? Gold is a heavy element, as is platinum. Half of the existing elements in the Universe heavier than iron were formed as a result of spectacular explosions resulting, among other things, from the merger of neutron stars. Later, gold atoms traveled through interstellar space, reached the solar nebula and eventually became part of the Earth’s crust.
However, before this could happen, a kilonova had to flare up somewhere. That is, two neutron stars had to approach each other, start attracting each other, and then in a gigantic explosion merge for milliseconds into a single object, which then collapsed into a black hole.
