'Gold was not born on Earth': The explosive cosmic truth is finally out
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Photon Forge
High-energy gamma-ray photons, blasting from collapsing stars, can now be seen as neutron-generating engines—redefining how heavy elements may form in the cosmos.
Cocoon Collision
When jets from dying stars slam into outer layers, they form a "hot cocoon"—a neutron-making cauldron powered by extreme light, Mumpower’s study reveals.
Neutron Shortcut
Instead of needing free neutrons from exotic places like star mergers, photons themselves may convert protons into neutrons in just nanoseconds.
Astro Alchemy
This process transforms basic cosmic elements into gold, platinum, and plutonium—an ancient stellar forge, sparked by gamma light.
Black Hole Jets
Spinning black holes launch high-speed jets, rich in gamma rays. These jets are now implicated in cosmic element creation—not just destruction.
Star Snowplow
Inspired by a freight train plowing snow, Mumpower envisioned a jet ripping through stellar layers—a metaphor that became a breakthrough model.
Sea Sediment Clues
Earth’s deep-sea sediments contain radioactive traces like iron-60 and plutonium-244—possibly the debris from long-lost stellar explosions.
Kilonova Surprise
The recent detection of kilonovas from gamma-ray bursts, not neutron star mergers, supports this new mechanism—an unexpected twist in astrophysics.
Unified Glow
If future telescopes catch light, neutrinos, and gravitational waves together during these bursts, it could confirm this photon-fueled neutron theory.
Representative pic