JWST detection of heavy neutron capture elements in a compact object merger
Creators: name: Levan, A.
name: Gompertz, B. P.
name: Salafia, O. S.
name: Bulla, M.
name: Burns, E.
name: Hotokezaka, K.
name: Izzo, L.
name: Lamb, G. P.
name: Malesani, D. B.
name: Oates, S. R.
name: Ravasio, M. E.
name: Escorial, A. Rouco
name: Schneider, B.
name: Sarin, N.
name: Schulze, S.
name: Tanvir, N. R.
name: Ackley, K.
name: Anderson, G.
name: Brammer, G. B.
name: Christensen, L.
name: Dhillon, V. S.
name: Evans, P. A.
name: Fausnaugh, M.
name: Fong, W. -F.
name: Fruchter, A. S.
name: Fryer, C.
name: Fynbo, J. P. U.
name: Gaspari, N.
name: Heintz, K. E.
name: Hjorth, J.
name: Kennea, J. A.
name: Kennedy, M. R.
name: Laskar, T.
name: Leloudas, G.
name: Mandel, I.
name: Martin-Carrillo, A.
name: Metzger, B. D.
name: Nicholl, M.
name: Nugent, A.
name: Palmerio, J. T.
name: Pugliese, G.
name: Rastinejad, J.
name: Rhodes, L.
name: Rossi, A.
name: Smartt, S. J.
name: Stevance, H. F.
name: Tohuvavohu, A.
name: van der Horst, A.
name: Vergani, S. D.
name: Watson, D.
name: Barclay, T.
name: Bhirombhakdi, K.
name: Breedt, E.
name: Breeveld, A. A.
name: Brown, A. J.
name: Campana, S.
name: Chrimes, A. A.
name: D'Avanzo, P.
name: D'Elia, V.
name: De Pasquale, M.
name: Dyer, M. J.
name: Galloway, D. K.
name: Garbutt, J. A.
name: Green, M. J.
name: Hartmann, D. H.
name: Jakobsson, P.
name: Kerry, P.
name: Langeroodi, D.
name: Leung, J. K.
name: Littlefair, S. P.
name: Munday, J.
name: O'Brien, P.
name: Parsons, S. G.
name: Pelisoli, I.
name: Saccardi, A.
name: Sahman, D. I.
name: Salvaterra, R.
name: Sbarufatti, B.
name: Steeghs, D.
name: Tagliaferri, G.
name: Thöne, C. C.
name: Postigo, A. de Ugarte
name: Kann, D. A.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The mergers of binary compact objects such as neutron stars and black holes are of central interest to several areas of astrophysics, including as the progenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), sources of high-frequency gravitational waves and likely production sites for heavy element nucleosynthesis via rapid neutron capture (the r-process). These heavy elements include some of great geophysical, biological and cultural importance, such as thorium, iodine and gold. Here we present observations of the exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A. We show that GRB 230307A belongs to the class of long-duration gamma-ray bursts associated with compact object mergers, and contains a kilonova similar to AT2017gfo, associated with the gravitational-wave merger GW170817. We obtained James Webb Space Telescope mid-infrared (mid-IR) imaging and spectroscopy 29 and 61 days after the burst. The spectroscopy shows an emission line at 2.15 microns which we interpret as tellurium (atomic mass A=130), and a very red source, emitting most of its light in the mid-IR due to the production of lanthanides. These observations demonstrate that nucleosynthesis in GRBs can create r-process elements across a broad atomic mass range and play a central role in heavy element nucleosynthesis across the Universe.
description: Submitted. Comments welcome! Nature (2023)