Researchers confirm brightest gamma-ray burst of all time came from the collapse of a massive star
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In October 2022, an international team of researchers, including Northwestern University astrophysicists, observed the brightest gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever recorded, GRB 221009A.
Now, a Northwestern-led team has confirmed that the phenomenon responsible for the historic burst—dubbed the B.O.A.T. ("brightest of all time")—is the collapse and subsequent explosion of a massive star. The team discovered the explosion, or supernova, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The researchers speculated that evidence of heavy elements, such as platinum and gold, might reside within the newly uncovered supernova. The extensive search, however, did not find the signature that accompanies such elements. The origin of heavy elements in the universe continues to remain as one of astronomy's biggest open questions.
"When we confirmed that the GRB was generated by the collapse of a massive star, that gave us the opportunity to test a hypothesis for how some of the heaviest elements in the universe are formed," said Northwestern's Peter Blanchard, who led the study.
