Suzaku X-ray observatory finds rare metals

TOKYO, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Japanese astronomers using the Suzaku orbiting X-ray observatory say they have discovered the largest known reservoir of rare metals in the universe.

The satellite, jointly operated by the Japanese and U.S. space agencies, detected the elements chromium and manganese while observing the central region of the Perseus galaxy cluster. Scientists said the metallic atoms are part of the hot gas, or "intergalactic medium," that lies between galaxies.

"This is the first detection of chromium and manganese from a cluster," said Takayuki Tamura, an astrophysicist at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency who led the Perseus study. "Previously, these metals were detected only from stars in the Milky Way or from other galaxies. This is the first detection in intergalactic space."

NASA said the chromium is 30 million times the sun's mass, or 10 trillion times Earth's mass. The manganese reservoir weighs in at about 8 million solar masses.

Exploding stars, or supernovas, forge the heavy elements. Although harvesting the metals isn't possible, scientists said they will mine the Suzaku X-ray data for scientific insights.

"By measuring metal abundances, we can understand the chemical history of stars in galaxies, such as the numbers and types of stars that formed and exploded in the past," Tamura said.

The study appeared in Nov. 1 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.