The Brightest of All Time (BOAT) Gamma Ray Burst

In October 2022, an extremely bright flash caught the attention of the Gemini South telescope in Chile. It was quickly determined to be the brightest gamma ray burst ever seen, hence its nickname: the Brightest Of All Time (the BOAT).

• The BOAT was a long-duration gamma ray burst, lasting a staggering 10 hours.
• Long gamma ray bursts are associated with the explosive and brilliant death of a star (supernova).
• The BOAT's gamma rays had energies reaching up to 13 teraelectronvolts, the same energy as CERN's Large Hadron Collider during its second run.

Webb Space Telescope Observations of the BOAT

A group of researchers used the Webb Space Telescope to examine the BOAT event several months after it was detected. They intentionally waited for the event to fade to spot any sign of the supernova that bore it.

• Using the telescope's Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), the team looked for heavy elements typically seen in supernovae, such as gold and platinum.
• However, the signal was not particularly bright, indicating that the supernova that yielded the brightest gamma ray burst ever seen was not exceptionally luminous itself.
• The researchers found no evidence for the presence of heavy elements like gold and platinum.

Origins of Heavy Elements

Heavy elements like gold and platinum are typically produced by neutron-star mergers, but the abundance of these elements in the universe is too high for such stellar mergers to account for all of them.

• Some hypothesized that a luminous gamma-ray burst like the BOAT could potentially produce a significant amount of heavy elements.
• However, the Webb observations contradicted this hypothesis, as no signs of heavy elements were detected.
• The origins of a significant portion of heavy elements in the universe remain an open question.

Importance of Gamma Ray Burst Observations

Studying gamma ray bursts like the BOAT is crucial for understanding the extreme environments and processes involved in the death of massive stars and the formation of black holes.

• Gamma ray bursts are among the most energetic events in the universe and can provide insights into the behavior of matter under extreme conditions.
• Observations of these events can also shed light on the production and distribution of heavy elements in the cosmos.
• Next-generation observatories like the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert will be instrumental in detecting and studying more of these events.

Future Exploration of Gamma Ray Bursts

Despite the lack of evidence for heavy elements like gold in the BOAT event, scientists continue to sift through the trove of data yielded by this extraordinary gamma ray burst.

• Last June, a group reported on the unusual jet stream structure found in the BOAT, which may cause physicists to rework their models of jet structure.
• As more powerful telescopes and observatories come online, astronomers expect to observe more events like the BOAT, enabling further exploration of these extreme cosmic phenomena.
• The study of gamma ray bursts and their associated supernovae could potentially shed light on the elusive origins of heavy elements in the universe.