2023-11-18 05:00:14
The Universe still has surprises in store. The most recent is the discovery of a celestial object named AT2022tsd, affectionately nicknamed the “Tasmanian Devil”. This object, classified as a “Fast Blue Optical Transient Phenomenon” (LFBOT), is located approximately one billion light years away. Earth. A team of astronomers analyzed its repeated flares, suggesting that black holes or neutron stars might be the cause. These results were published this week in Nature.
The Tasmanian Devil is an extragalactic optical transient. Unlike supernovas, the most common optical transients, it only brightens for short periods. Comparisons with ‘the Cow’, another LFBOT observed in 2018, indicate notable similarities. These phenomena might be due to black holes or neutron stars, the dense remains of dying stars.
When a star dies, its core can collapse, forming a black hole (In astrophysics, a black hole is a massive object whose the gravitational field is so intense…) or a neutron star. Black holes, which are extremely dense, do not let light escape beyond their event horizon. region of space-time in which a…). However, the light flashes detected indicate that these stellar “corpses” are still active.
The Tasmanian Devil offers a unique opportunity to study these celestial objects shortly following their formation. According to Anna Ho, of Cornell University, these light phenomena might come from these recently formed celestial bodies.
Artistic illustration of the engine of a Fast Blue Optical Transient (FBOT).
Illustration: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF
Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF
The discovery of the Tasmanian Devil opens a new window on the extreme explosions of the Universe.
Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients (LFBOTs): ephemeral stellar phenomena
LFBOTs are remarkable astrophysical events. They are characterized by a rapid and intense increase in luminosity, followed by an equally rapid decrease, all taking place over a period of a few days to a few weeks.
Their name derives from their distinctive properties:
– Luminous: They are extremely bright, often reaching a brightness comparable to that of entire galaxies.
– Fast: Their most remarkable characteristic is the speed of their evolution. Unlike other stellar phenomena that can last for months or years, LFBOTs appear and disappear within a few days.
– Blue: They emit mainly in the blue optical spectrum, which indicates very high temperatures.
– Optical Transients: They are observed through their emission of light in the visible spectrum, and their transient nature means that they are only present for a short period of time.
The exact causes of LFBOTs remain a subject of intense research. LFBOTs provide a unique window into stellar end-of-life processes and physical mechanisms in extremely dense and energetic environments. Their study might shed light on the formation of black holes (In astrophysics, a black hole is a massive object whose gravitational field is so intense…) and neutron stars, as well as on the dynamics (The word dynamic is often used designate or qualify that which relates to movement. It…) stellar explosions.
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