Tag: supernovae

Researchers theorize origins of magnetars, the strongest magnets in the universe

How do some neutron stars become the strongest magnets in the universe? A German-British team of astrophysicists has found a possible answer to the question of how magnetars form. They used large computer simulations to demonstrate how the merger of two stars creates strong magnetic fields. If such stars explode in supernovae, magnetars can result. Scientists from Heidelberg University, the Max…

Scientists observe year-long plateaus in decline of Type Ia supernova light curves

Scientists at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian have announced the discovery that, contrary to previously accepted knowledge, Type Ia supernovae experience light curve decline plateaus, and lengthy ones at that, lasting up to a year. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-10-scientists-year-long-plateaus-decline-ia.html…

The 2nd-fastest pulsar, now with gamma rays

Pulsars are the compact remnants of supernovae. They have strong magnetic fields and rotate rapidly. This one is spinning 707 times a second! Astronomers just discovered this pulsar is emitting high-energy gamma rays. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/2nd-fastest-pulsar-j0952-0607-gamma-rays…

Gravitational waves could settle mystery of the universe’s expansion

Supernovae and the big bang’s afterglow give us conflicting numbers on how fast the universe is expanding. Gravitational waves could help settle things Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2214225-gravitational-waves-could-settle-mystery-of-the-universes-expansion/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Automated observing network inaugurated at SOAR telescope

Supernovae, neutron star mergers, black holes at the center of galaxies, erupting young stars—these are all examples of objects in the night sky that change their brightness over time. In the coming years, astronomers expect to discover millions of these variable astronomical events with new sensitive telescopes like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). But to characterize these objects and to…

Modeling a core collapse supernova

Stars greater than eight solar-masses end their lives spectacularly—as supernovae. These single-star supernovae are called core collapse supernovae because when their dense cores (at this stage composed primarily of iron) are no longer able to withstand the inward pressure of gravity they collapse inward before exploding. Core collapse supernovae with strong hydrogen emission lines are thought to result from the explosions…

Ghosts of ancient explosions live on in stars today

When small, dense stars called white dwarfs explode, they produce bright, short-lived flares called Type Ia supernovae. These supernovae are informative cosmological markers for astronomers—for example, they were used to prove that the universe is accelerating in its expansion. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-08-ghosts-ancient-explosions-stars-today.html…

Smash and grab: A heavyweight stellar champion for dying stars

Dying stars that cast off their outer envelopes to form the beautiful yet enigmatic “planetary nebulae” (PNe) have a new heavy-weight champion, the innocuously named PNe BMP1613-5406. Massive stars live fast and die young, exploding as powerful supernovae after only a few million years. However, the vast majority of stars, including our own sun, have much lower mass and may live…

Hubble sets sights on an explosive galaxy

When massive stars die at the end of their short lives, they light up the cosmos with bright, explosive bursts of light and material known as supernovae. A supernova event is incredibly energetic and intensely luminous—so much so that it forms what looks like an especially bright new star that slowly fades away over time. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-06-hubble-sights-explosive-galaxy.html…