When humanity finally detected the collision between two neutron stars in 2017, we confirmed a long-held theory - in the energetic fires of these incredible explosions, elements heavier than iron are forged.
人於在2017年，中子星之的碰撞，了一期存在的理。在此些令人以置信之爆炸的高能火焰中，造了多比重的元素。
And so, we thought we had an answer to the question of how these elements - including gold - propagated throughout the Universe.
因此，我有此些元素(包括金)，如何散整宇宙的有了答案。
But a new analysis has revealed a problem. According to new galactic chemical evolution models, neutron star collisions don't even come close to producing the abundances of heavy elements found in the Milky Way galaxy today.
不，一新分析已揭露一。根多新星系化演模型，中子星碰撞甚至生今，在河系中，被的大量重元素，有密切。
"Neutron star mergers did not produce enough heavy elements in the early life of the Universe, and they still don't now, 14 billion years later," said astrophysicist Amanda Karakas of Monash University and the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D) in Australia.
澳大利莫什大及澳大利研究委(ARC：Australian Research Council)三中全穹天物理卓越中心(ASTRO 3D)的天物理家，Amanda Karakas宣：「在宇宙初期，中子星合有生足的重元素，且在140年後的今天，它仍然有。
The Universe didn't make them fast enough to account for their presence in very ancient stas, and, overall, there are simply not enough collisions going on to account for the abundance of these elements around today."
宇宙有使它快到足以明，它存在於非常古老的星中。亦即，的，根本有生足的碰撞，明此些今到富的元素。」
Stars are the forges that produce most of the elements in the Universe. In the early Universe, after the primordial quark soup cooled enough to coalesce into matter, it formed hydrogen and helium - still the two most abundant elements in the Universe.
於宇宙中，星是生大部分元素的造。在初期宇宙中，原始夸克冷到足以合生成物後。形成了，仍然是宇宙中，最富的元素及氦。
The first stars formed as gravity pulled together clumps of these materials. In the nuclear fusion furnaces of their cores, these stars forged hydrogen into helium; then helium into carbon; and so on, fusing heavier and heavier elements as they run out of lighter ones until iron is produced.
重力此些材料拉在聚在一起，形成了最早的星。在其核心的核聚中，此些星造成氦，然後氦成碳，等等。它消耗的元素，融合越越重的元素，直到生。
Iron itself can fuse, but it consumes huge amounts of energy - more than such fusion produces - so an iron core is the end point.
本身融合。不，消耗浩大的能量，比此融合生的多。因此，核心是。
"We can think of stars as giant pressure cookers where new elements are created," Karakas said. "The reactions that make these elements also provide the energy that keeps stars shining bright for billions of years. As stars age, they produce heavier and heavier elements as their insides heat up."
Karakas宣：「我星，造新元素的巨大力。生此些元素的反也提供了，使星光十年的能量。著星老化，因其部升，生越越重的元素。」
To create elements heavier than iron - such as gold, silver, thorium and uranium - the rapid neutron-capture process, or r-process, is required. This can take place in really energetic explosions, which generate a series of nuclear reactions in which atomic nuclei collide with neutrons to synthesise elements heavier than iron.
了生比重的元素(如金、、及)，需要快速捕中子的程，也就是r程。生於，生一串原子核中子碰撞，合成比重之核反的真正高能爆炸中。
But it needs to happen really quickly, so that radioactive decay doesn't have time to occur before more neutrons are added to the nucleus.
不，需要非常迅速地生，以便在更多中子被增添到原子核之前，有生放射性衰。
We know now that the kilonova explosion generated by a neutron star collision is an energetic-enough environment for the r-process to take place. That's not under dispute. But, in order to produce the quantities of these heavier elements we observe, we'd need a minimum frequency of neutron star collisions.
目前我知，由中子星碰撞生的千新星(也被r程超新星，是在密之星系中，中子星或一中子星一黑洞相互合，生的短天文事件)爆炸，是一足以生r程(於核天物理中，快速中子捕的程)的高能境。那有。不，了生我察到之此些更重元素的量，然需要最低限度的中子星碰撞次。
To figure out the sources of these elements, the researchers constructed galactic chemical evolution models for all stabe elements from carbon to uranium, using the most up-to-date astrophysical observations and chemical abundances in the Milky Way available. They included theoretical nucleosynthesis yields and event rates.
了解些元素的源，此些研究人利用河系中，可得的多最新天物理及化度，碳到的所有定元素，建了多星系化演模型。它包括理上的核合成量及事件生率。
They laid out their work in a periodic table that shows the origins of the elements they modelled. And, among their findings, they found the neutron star collision frequency lacking, from the early Universe to now. Instead, they believe that a type of supernova could be responsible.
他以其所作，展此些元素起源模型的一期表，了他的研究。果，在其研究中，他初期宇宙到目前，中子星碰撞率不多。因此，他致的原因，可能是一型超新星。
(援用自原文)
These are called magnetorotational supernovae, and they occur when the core of a massive, fast-spinning star with a strong magnetic field collapses. These are also thought to be energetic enough for the r-process to take place. If a small percentage of supernovae of stars between 25 and 50 solar masses are magnetorotational, that could make up the difference.
些被磁旋超新星，它生於具有大磁之大量、快速旋之星的核心坍塌。些也被，具有足以生r-程的高能。倘若介於25到50太量的星，一小部分是磁旋超新星，那可能上述差。
"Even the most optimistic estimates of neutron star collision frequency simply can't account for the sheer abundance of these elements in the Universe," said Karakas. "This was a surprise. It looks like spinning supernovae with strong magnetic fields are the real source of most of these elements."
Karakas宣：「即使有中子星碰撞率的最估，也完全法明此些元素於宇宙中的十足度。真是一件令人的事。看起，具有强大磁的旋超新星，是大部分此些元素的真正源。」
Previous research has found a type of supernova called a collapsar supernova can also produce heavy elements. This is when a rapidly rotating star over 30 solar masses goes supernova before collapsing down into a black hole. These are thought to be much rarer than neutron star collisions, but they could be a contributor - it matches neatly with the team's other findings.
先前的研究已一，被塌星的超新星，也生重元素。是超30太量的快速旋星，在塌陷成黑洞之前，成超新星。些被，比中子星碰撞更罕。不，它可能是一促成因素。切地研究的其他研究相一致。
They found that stars less massive than about eight solar masses produce carbon, nitrogen, fluorine, and about half of all the elements heavier than iron. Stars more massive than eight solar masses produce most of the oxygen and calcium needed for life, as well as most of the rest of the elements between carbon and iron.
他，不到八太量的星，生碳、氮、氟及大半比重的所有元素。超八太量的星，除了大多介於碳的其元素之外，也生生命所需的大多氧及。
"Apart from hydrogen, there is no single element that can be formed only by one type of star," explained astrophysicist Chiaki Kobayashi of the University of Hertfordshire in the UK.
英赫特福德大的天物理家，Chiaki Kobayashi解：「除了之外，有任何一元素，能由一星形成。」
Half of carbon is produced from dying low-mass stars, but the other half comes from supernovae. And half the iron comes from normal supernovae of massive stars, but the other half needs another form, known as Type Ia supernovae. These are produced in binary systems of low mass stars."
半碳是由垂死的低量星生，不另半自超新星。此外，半自大量星的正常超新星，不另半需要另一，被通Ia型的超新星。些是在低量星之星系中生的。」
This doesn't necessaril mean that the estimated 0.3 percent of Earth's gold and platinum traced back to a neutron star collision 4.6 billion years ago has a different origin story. It's just not necessarily the whole story.
未必意味著，追溯到46年前一次中子星碰撞，估地球0.3％的金及，具有不同的起源由。只是，未必是完整的由。
But we've only been detecting gravitational waves for five years. It could be, as our equipment and techniques improve, that we find neutron star collisions are much more frequent than we think they are at this current time.
不，我重力波才5年。有可能，著及科技的改，能中子星碰撞，比前我的更繁得多。
Curiously, the researchers' models also turned out more silver than observed, and less gold. That suggests something needs to be tweaked. Perhaps it's the calculations. Or perhaps there are some aspects of stellar nucleosynthesis that we are yet to understand.
不可思的是，此些研究人的模型也生，比察到的更多，而少的金。那暗示，有事情需要整。或是此些算。或也是我尚不解之星核合成的一些面。
The research has been published in The Astrophysical Journal.
研究已表於，由美天文行的《天物理》。
原文址：https://www.sciencealert.com/neutron-star-collisions-may-not-be-making-much-gold-after-all
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