Gamma-Ray Burst Marks First Detection of Rare Heavy Elements from Star Merger with the Help of James Webb Space Telescope

Explosion from two neutron stars merger, witnessed as an unusually bright and long gamma-ray burst, confirmed the creation of heavy elements such as tellurium and potentially iodine, essential for life on Earth.

The NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, along with other space and ground-based telescopes, observed an unusually bright and long gamma-ray burst, GRB 230307A, revealing the merger of two neutron stars. The explosion from this merger, known as a kilonova, confirmed the creation of heavy elements such as tellurium and potentially iodine.
These elements essential for life on Earth have long been theorized to be created in ‘pressure cookers’ like neutron star mergers; however, solid evidence had been previously elusive due to the rarity of kilonovae and the difficulty in observing these events.
GRB 230307A, the second brightest gamma-ray burst observed in over 50 years, was about 1,000 times brighter than a typical gamma-ray burst, and lasted for a notable 200 seconds. This placed it into the long duration gamma-ray burst category, typically associated with the explosive death of a massive star, despite it originating from a merging neutron star.
The two neutron stars were once part of a binary system in their home spiral galaxy and were ejected out into space during their transformation into neutron stars due to supernova explosions. Despite this, they remained gravitationally bound, merging several hundred million years later after traveling a distance approximating the diameter of the Milky Way galaxy.
Scientists anticipate discovering more kilonovae in the future thanks to the synergy between space and ground-based telescopes. The upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from NASA is expected to further bolster these explorations and studies. Overall, these findings are set to significantly advance our understanding of the universe and its elemental composition.