4 ms·
I've always wondered, does the presence of heavy elements on earth (ones which are likely to have formed via neutron star mergers) indicate that a pair of neutr
by ninkendo 6y ago
I've always wondered, does the presence of heavy elements on earth (ones which are likely to have formed via neutron star mergers) indicate that a pair of neutron stars merged relatively nearby our sun when it formed? Or is there just a diffuse amount of these elements in typical protostellar clouds all over the galaxy?
Perhaps a simpler way of asking: are the heavy elements we find on earth typical for an average planet? Or does a planetary system have to be "lucky" enough to have formed near a neutron star merger, for it to have elements like gold in measurable quantities?