Can merging neutron stars alone explain where heavy elements come from?

Half the universe's heaviest elements (gold, platinum, uranium) come from somewhere, and neutron star mergers are the leading suspect. Using gravitational wave detections, gamma-ray bursts, and stellar abundances in the Milky Way, researchers tested whether mergers alone could explain observed heavy-element patterns if their production efficiency evolved across cosmic history. The data strongly prefer evolved scenarios, but these conflict with gamma-ray burst observations and theoretical predictions, suggesting either missing physics or an additional production source.