The Alchemy of Neutron Star Collisions

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Carl Sagan’s famous words: “We are star stuff” refers to a mind-blowing idea – that most atomic nuclei in our bodies were created in the nuclear furnace and the explosive deaths of stars that lived in the ancient universe. In recent years it’s become clear that the truth is even more mind-blowing. Many heavy elements - includes most precious metals - were produced in an even more spectacular event: the collision of neutron stars. In fact, according to a recent study most of the Earth’s supply of these elements was created in a single neutron star merger that took place near our Sun’s birth nebula 80 million years ago before Earth formed.

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Hosted by Matt O'Dowd
Written by Matt O'Dowd
Graphics by Leonardo Scholzer
Directed by Andrew Kornhaber
Produced By: Kornhaber Brown

When I was in astrophysicist school they taught us that all of the elements of the periodic table between carbon and iron were produced in onion shells by nuclear fusion in the cores of very massive stars during the last phases of their lives. And that the elements heavier than iron were synthesized in the following supernova explosion. That latter process is well understood – the star’s dead core collapses and protons are converted to neutrons. The surrounding shells ricochet outwards, along with a layer of the iron and nickel core. The latter is blasted by a wave of neutrons, which get rammed into the escaping nuclei. Some of those captured neutrons convert back to protons and so elements all the way up the periodic table can be made. This is the rapid neutron capture or r-process. The rapid part is because neutrons are captured faster than nuclei can decay, making it possible to build very heavy nuclei.

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سلطان الخليفي

[bierrollerful]

Imagine being an uranium atom inside a nuclear bomb.
"I didn't escape a black hole for _THIS_ "

[TestSpaceMonkey]

Now I feel the need for a T-shirt that says "contains 2ppm colliding neutron star material synthesized on the rim of a black hole before surfing a wave of neutrinos into the nebula that would eventually collapse into our solar system".

[brianharms]

As an isotope geochemist, I find it hard to explain how surreal this all is - surreal to learn that nucleosynthesis happens quite differently than we all thought.

Upheavals in scientific knowledge like this are rare. Our collective vision of a fundamental process has been fundamentally changed. Even better, the new story is far more amazing than the old one.

Wow.

[Tylerrl]

Didn’t expect a science exploration video to throw out straight facts for 10 min, then end with “rip Grumpy”

[maciejmaowidzki]

14:26 One hydrogen atom per square metre? I didn't know you're a flat spacetimer, Matt!

[nolanwestrich]

12:14 My comment got mentioned. My life is now complete.

[hoodglasses]

Why yes I would like to take time out of my completely non-cosmology related work day to learn more space.

[hfail]

Neutrinos finally doing something really useful!

[U_F_N_M]

"Quantom mechanics forbids that!" is definitely your "You shall not pass!".

[polygondwanaland]

"...wind of neutrinos is so intense..."

This is the official point when energies involved can be called "silly".

[jamespearsoniii]

I want to thank this show for massively leveling up my astronomy understanding!
Thanx to your episodes, I have been lucky enough to be friend a top notch astronomy professor from UCSB! I’ve been given the most recent curriculum astronomy book and have a chance to sit in on some classes next quarter! Not bad for a guy who never really went to college😅

[naytonestew]

The Grumpy Cat part was the part I understood the most. Actually, the more I watch your videos, the more the pieces of the universe are coming together in my brain. Really fun stuff. Thank you!

[NR-fgqc]

I've noticed my cat loves the sound of your voice. She always moves closer when she hears you.

[TheRealFlenuan]

I never would've thought I'd hear Matt say "Rest in peace Harambe"

[bormisha]

Oh man, this episode has blown my mind! It turns out that it is indeed incredibly rare to have a habitable planet formed with an abundance of heavy elements essential for life.

[DavidBruno]

The LIGO gravitational waves discovery has turned into so much more - now neutron stars created the periodic table! Amazing year of exponential learning this episode was so worth waiting for!

[mr.meatbeat]

This video made me so happy to be alive and have consciousness. We are the universe observing itself. What a beautiful idea. Thanks PBS Spacetime! Much love

[TheExoplanetsChannel]

I'm finally relaxed after injecting to my brain my dosis of PBS Space Time

[johnsorrelw]

Finally, the explanation of how neutron stars create these elements I was waiting for. Fantastic job PBS Spacetime!

[arnoldloudly]

A complex series of processes explained fully enough to induce headaches. One of the best...