Deep-sea rocks hold radioactive stardust from a cosmic collision
In short: At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, scientists found traces of plutonium that shouldn't be there. These atoms weren't forged on Earth; they are remnants of a violent stellar explosion that occurred millions of years ago, providing a rare chemical fingerprint of how the universe builds heavy elements.
Researchers discovered rare isotopes of iron and plutonium embedded in a ferromanganese crust nearly a mile deep in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The specific chemical makeup of these elements suggests they were forged in powerful interstellar explosions rather than through standard stellar evolution. While scientists long believed that supernovae—the violent deaths of massive stars—were the primary source of heavy elements like gold, platinum, and uranium, this discovery points to more extreme events.
The study identifies two specific isotopes: iron-60 and plutonium-244. Because any plutonium-244 baked into the Earth's crust during its formation would have decayed long ago, its presence today confirms an extraterrestrial origin. By measuring the rate of radioactive decay, researchers determined that this 'radioactive stardust' rained down on Earth within the last 10 million years. However, other measurements involving curium-247 suggest the initial cosmic event occurred no more than about 1 billion years ago.
The most likely culprit for this debris is a kilonova: a massive explosion caused by the merger of two super-dense neutron stars. These events are among the brightest in the galaxy and are believed to be responsible for synthesizing about half of the heavy elements in the universe. By analyzing just a few hundred atoms, scientists can now better understand the mysteries of how the heaviest parts of the periodic table are distributed across space.
A Japanese firm exploring for oil first retrieved the substance from the seabed before gifting it to scientists. This discovery highlights a significant shift in astrophysics: while we understand where hydrogen and helium came from (the Big Bang) and carbon and oxygen (stellar cores), these heavy elements remain a frontier of mystery that requires looking at the most violent collisions in the cosmos.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: We Found Plutonium at the Bottom of the Ocean... and It's From Space
- Also: Scientists Find Plutonium Made in Outer Space on Ocean Floor
- Also: Freshly Made Plutonium From Outer Space Found On Ocean Floor
- Also: Deep-sea crust uncovers steady plutonium rain from ancient kilonova debris
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/space-we-found-plutonium-at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-and-it-s-from-.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics
