Conditions in young black holes can forge heavy elements like gold, silver: Study

Black holes have always been an intriguing subject for astronomy lovers and a new study based on the strange entities has given another reason to dive deeper into the matter. According to a new paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, black holes and their characteristics are capable of forging heavier elements like gold and silver. As of now, elements such as gold, silver and chemical elements like thorium and uranium are known to form under extreme conditions however, this new study suggests that black holes can provide such conditions.

The connection between a black hole and gold

A report by Science Alert stated that heavier elements are produced in extreme environments, like that of a black hole, from the process when a high emission of neutrinos causes the production of neutrons on a massive scale, after converting it from protons. Astrophysicist Oliver Just from the Germany-based GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research said as per Science Alert,

In our study, we systematically investigated for the first time the conversion rates of neutrons and protons for a large number of disk configurations by means of elaborate computer simulations, and we found that the disks are very rich in neutrons as long as certain conditions are met.

Another report by The Swaddle suggests that astronomers found in 2017 that cosmic collisions could indeed forge heavy elements such as gold, silver and platinum. Moreover, it was reported that gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation resulting from a neutron star merger were powerful enough to produce heavier elements. Through this study, the scientists try to explain the occurrence of this process in newborn black holes that have a hot and dense disk around them. It is this hot and dense disk where the conversion of protons to neutrons occur. At the same time, the black hole swallows massive amounts of gas and dust around it and synthesises it into a heavy element, as per the experts. However, the findings stated that when comparing a black hole and neutron star over the production of these elements, the latter can be considered a better factory. But this new study has also given astronomers a new candidate for producing such elements and has offered a new insight into their formation.

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