Researchers have recently found that magnetar flares can create heavy elements like gold using a process called rapid neutron-capture or r-process nucleosynthesis. Magnetars are a special type of neutron star with extremely powerful magnetic fields—about a thousand times stronger than normal neutron stars. These stars sometimes release huge flares of energy, and one such giant flare in 2004 helped scientists make this discovery. The flare was observed by NASA’s Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, which recorded strange gamma-ray signals nearly a day later. These delayed signals did not match typical afterglows but showed signs of radioactive decay from neutron-rich elements. This proves that r-process nucleosynthesis, earlier linked mainly to neutron star mergers, can also happen in magnetar flares. This recent evidence changes our understanding of where rare elements like gold in the universe might come from.
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