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Heavy-element production in a compact object merger observed by JWST

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew J. Levan

    (Radboud University
    University of Warwick)

  • Benjamin P. Gompertz

    (University of Birmingham
    University of Birmingham)

  • Om Sharan Salafia

    (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
    INFN - Sezione di Milano Bicocca)

  • Mattia Bulla

    (University of Ferrara
    INFN - Sezione di Ferrara
    INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico d’Abruzzo)

  • Eric Burns

    (Louisiana State University)

  • Kenta Hotokezaka

    (The University of Tokyo
    The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa)

  • Luca Izzo

    (University of Copenhagen
    INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte)

  • Gavin P. Lamb

    (Liverpool John Moores University
    University of Leicester)

  • Daniele B. Malesani

    (Radboud University
    Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Samantha R. Oates

    (University of Birmingham
    University of Birmingham)

  • Maria Edvige Ravasio

    (Radboud University
    INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)

  • Alicia Rouco Escorial

    (European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC))

  • Benjamin Schneider

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Nikhil Sarin

    (Stockholm University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology
    Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center)

  • Steve Schulze

    (Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center)

  • Nial R. Tanvir

    (University of Leicester)

  • Kendall Ackley

    (University of Warwick)

  • Gemma Anderson

    (Curtin University)

  • Gabriel B. Brammer

    (Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Lise Christensen

    (Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Vikram S. Dhillon

    (University of Sheffield
    Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna)

  • Phil A. Evans

    (University of Leicester)

  • Michael Fausnaugh

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Texas Tech University)

  • Wen-fai Fong

    (Northwestern University
    Northwestern University)

  • Andrew S. Fruchter

    (Space Telescope Science Institute)

  • Chris Fryer

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory
    The University of Arizona
    The University of New Mexico
    The George Washington University)

  • Johan P. U. Fynbo

    (Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Nicola Gaspari

    (Radboud University)

  • Kasper E. Heintz

    (Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Jens Hjorth

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Jamie A. Kennea

    (The Pennsylvania State University)

  • Mark R. Kennedy

    (University College Cork
    The University of Manchester)

  • Tanmoy Laskar

    (Radboud University
    University of Utah)

  • Giorgos Leloudas

    (Technical University of Denmark)

  • Ilya Mandel

    (Monash University
    Monash University)

  • Antonio Martin-Carrillo

    (University College Dublin)

  • Brian D. Metzger

    (Columbia University
    Flatiron Institute)

  • Matt Nicholl

    (Queen’s University Belfast)

  • Anya Nugent

    (Northwestern University
    Northwestern University)

  • Jesse T. Palmerio

    (GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS)

  • Giovanna Pugliese

    (University of Amsterdam)

  • Jillian Rastinejad

    (Northwestern University
    Northwestern University)

  • Lauren Rhodes

    (University of Oxford)

  • Andrea Rossi

    (INAF - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio)

  • Andrea Saccardi

    (GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS)

  • Stephen J. Smartt

    (Queen’s University Belfast
    University of Oxford)

  • Heloise F. Stevance

    (University of Oxford
    The University of Auckland)

  • Aaron Tohuvavohu

    (University of Toronto)

  • Alexander Horst

    (The George Washington University)

  • Susanna D. Vergani

    (GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS)

  • Darach Watson

    (Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Thomas Barclay

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Kornpob Bhirombhakdi

    (Space Telescope Science Institute)

  • Elmé Breedt

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Alice A. Breeveld

    (University College London)

  • Alexander J. Brown

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Sergio Campana

    (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)

  • Ashley A. Chrimes

    (Radboud University)

  • Paolo D’Avanzo

    (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)

  • Valerio D’Elia

    (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) Space Science Data Center (SSDC)
    INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma)

  • Massimiliano Pasquale

    (University of Messina, Polo Papardo)

  • Martin J. Dyer

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Duncan K. Galloway

    (Monash University
    Monash University)

  • James A. Garbutt

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Matthew J. Green

    (Tel Aviv University)

  • Dieter H. Hartmann

    (Clemson University)

  • Páll Jakobsson

    (University of Iceland)

  • Paul Kerry

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Chryssa Kouveliotou

    (The George Washington University)

  • Danial Langeroodi

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Emeric Floc’h

    (CEA, IRFU, DAp, AIM, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS)

  • James K. Leung

    (Monash University
    The University of Sydney
    CSIRO Space and Astronomy)

  • Stuart P. Littlefair

    (University of Sheffield)

  • James Munday

    (University of Warwick
    Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes)

  • Paul O’Brien

    (University of Leicester)

  • Steven G. Parsons

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Ingrid Pelisoli

    (University of Warwick)

  • David I. Sahman

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Ruben Salvaterra

    (INAF IASF-Milano)

  • Boris Sbarufatti

    (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)

  • Danny Steeghs

    (University of Warwick
    Monash University)

  • Gianpiero Tagliaferri

    (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)

  • Christina C. Thöne

    (Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences)

  • Antonio Ugarte Postigo

    (Université Côte d’Azur)

  • David Alexander Kann

    (Goethe University Frankfurt, Campus Riedberg)

Abstract

The mergers of binary compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes are of central interest to several areas of astrophysics, including as the progenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)1, sources of high-frequency gravitational waves (GWs)2 and likely production sites for heavy-element nucleosynthesis by means of rapid neutron capture (the r-process)3. Here we present observations of the exceptionally bright GRB 230307A. We show that GRB 230307A belongs to the class of long-duration GRBs associated with compact object mergers4–6 and contains a kilonova similar to AT2017gfo, associated with the GW merger GW170817 (refs. 7–12). We obtained James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy 29 and 61 days after the burst. The spectroscopy shows an emission line at 2.15 microns, which we interpret as tellurium (atomic mass A = 130) and a very red source, emitting most of its light in the mid-infrared owing to the production of lanthanides. These observations demonstrate that nucleosynthesis in GRBs can create r-process elements across a broad atomic mass range and play a central role in heavy-element nucleosynthesis across the Universe.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew J. Levan & Benjamin P. Gompertz & Om Sharan Salafia & Mattia Bulla & Eric Burns & Kenta Hotokezaka & Luca Izzo & Gavin P. Lamb & Daniele B. Malesani & Samantha R. Oates & Maria Edvige Ravasio &, 2024. "Heavy-element production in a compact object merger observed by JWST," Nature, Nature, vol. 626(8000), pages 737-741, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:626:y:2024:i:8000:d:10.1038_s41586-023-06759-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06759-1
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