Researchers show for the first time what forms after a supernova

2024-01-11 16:10:00

2 teams examined exactly which objects remained following a supernova.

The assumption that from one Supernova a Black hole or a Neutron star arises is not new. However, the assumption has not yet been proven because the process has never been observed. But now there are new observations that confirm a connection.

A supernova is one of the most brutal events in the cosmos. When a star reaches the end of its life, it collapses under its own Gravity, the outer shell is blown away. What will become of the remains of the explosion has so far been theoretical. Is the mass of the original star below 8 solar massesthe remaining core becomes a White dwarf. He had between 8 and 30 solar masseshe becomes one Neutron starwhich itself up to 2.3 solar masses may have. But the star is still there more massive than 30 solar masseshe becomes one Black hole.

➤ Read more: What is a Supernova?

Unusual behavior observed

In a new observation with the two telescopes European Southern Observatory (ESO)dem Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the New Technology Telescope (NTT) 2 independent teams have now found evidence of this. They observed the supernova SN 2022jliwhich are in the spiral arm of the Galaxy NGC 157 approximately 75 million light years takes place away from Earth.

Normally, researchers receive one when observing a supernova Light curve, which briefly becomes brighter and then slowly decreases. But things are different with SN 2022jli. The overall brightness also decreased here, but with significant fluctuations 12 Roofs.

Companion star survives supernova

This might be related to the presence of at least one other star. Such Binary star systems are not unusual. As a rule, he survives companion star but not a supernova. In the case of SN 2022jli, the two objects continue to orbit each other.

This is how the supernova probably happened (from left to right and top to bottom)

That from the supernova ejected material ensured that the the atmosphere of the companion star bloated. Whenever the resulting compact object flies through this atmosphere, it steals away from the companion star hydrogen.

➤ Read more: Mystery of hydrogen-poor supernovae solved

It collects it in one are called disks of matterthat surrounds him. This happens at regular intervals and sets so much Energy free that the researchers were able to observe it in the light curve as changes in brightness.

This is what the binary star system might look like following the supernova: On the left a compact object (black hole or neutron star), on the right the companion star

“Solving a puzzle”

Both teams came to the conclusion that only a neutron star or a black hole would be able to do this. However, they were unable to observe or identify the object. “Our research is like solving a puzzle by gathering all possible evidence,” says Ping Chenresearcher at Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. He is the lead author of one of the two studies published in the specialist magazine nature became.

“All these pieces put together lead to knowledge,” says Chen. The second study led by Thomas Moore the Queen’s University Belfast became in the Astrophysical Journal published. In the future there will be new telescopes like this Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) uncover more regarding the compact object and the fate of its companion star.

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