Heavy elements forged by cataclysmic cosmic collision

When gravitational wave detectors started going off across Europe and the US in August, it was as if ‘a blazing neon sign saying “pay close attention”’ to one small spot in the sky had been lit up, according to astrophysicist Cole Miller of the University of Maryland, College Park, US. Within hours, astronomers had discovered a new and rapidly fading optical source later identified as the first neutron star merger ever observed. The electromagnetic radiation observed in the subsequent days and weeks has now provided new insights into how the heavy elements are made.