3 ms·
For some completely irrational reason I was slightly disappointed that the gold in my wedding ring was only from a neutron star merger and probably not from a s
by arethuza 6y ago
For some completely irrational reason I was slightly disappointed that the gold in my wedding ring was only from a neutron star merger and probably not from a supernova.
However, reading the relevant wikipedia page I came across this part:
"this single neutron star merger event generated between 3 and 13 Earth masses of gold"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold#Gold_production_in_the_Universe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold#Gold_production_in_the_Un...
Can't wait to refer to that in the next discussion on HN about gold as a store of value.... ;-)
- WorldMaker 6y agoNeutron Star Mergers & Acquisitions sounds like a great title for book or TV show.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- rini17 6y agoI have a very-soon-merging neutron star pair to sell to you.
- WorldMaker 6y ago"You want to be on the ground floor of this IPO because I'm telling you it's going to just be exploding gold (and other elements)."
- ISL 6y agoRadioactive gold, at that.
- ISL 6y agoWhile the neutron-star merger suggested that a substantial fraction of the r-process occurs in neutron stars, it does not rule out the possibility that the r-process also occurs in supernovae (the other leading candidate). I'd be happy to wager that at least a couple percent of your wedding ring's nuclei were formed in a supernova.