Cosmologists have found a way to double the accuracy of measuring distances to supernova explosions, enabling precise study of dark energy. The Nearby Supernova Factory collaboration has developed a new method that quadruples the number of supernovae used, allowing for more accurate measurements and reducing biases.
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy has found evidence for three-dimensional (3D) spin-velocity alignment in pulsars. The research, conducted using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), reveals new insights into the origins of these rapidly rotating neutron stars.
Astronomers have discovered a mysterious yellow star that exploded without the typical hydrogen layer, revealing new insights into the violent death throes of massive stars. The discovery challenges current understanding of stellar evolution and suggests that these stars may undergo catastrophic eruptions before exploding.
Researchers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to examine the massive star two-and-a-half years before its explosion. The team found that the star lacked its typical hydrogen layer, making it unusually cool before exploding into a supernova.
Astronomers have found powerful evidence for a neutrino-driven explosion in the remains of a supernova called Cassiopeia A (Cas A). The discovery was made using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and suggests that titanium bubbles play a crucial role in driving the shock wave forward to trigger the supernova explosion.
Researchers have made significant progress in understanding the stellar beta-decay rate of 59Fe, which is essential for predicting the yield of 60Fe in massive stars. By measuring this rate, they eliminated a major nuclear uncertainty and found that the yield of 60Fe is 40% less than previously predicted.
A global science collaboration using NICER data discovered X-ray surges accompanying giant radio pulses from the Crab Nebula's pulsar. The finding shows that these bursts release dozens to hundreds of times higher total emitted energy than previously estimated.
A group of scientists, led by Teruaki Enoto, have discovered that the 'giant radio pulses' emitted by the Crab pulsar include an increase in x-ray emissions, making them hundreds of times more energetic. This finding provides new insights into the mysterious phenomenon of fast radio bursts and puts constraints on models of these events.
Researchers suggest that worlds with interior water ocean worlds (IWOWs) are more habitable due to protection by layers of ice and rock, shielding life against threats. This concept expands the search for life beyond Earth-like planets.
Research suggests star clusters like Cygnus Cocoon can accelerate particles to petaelectronvolts, defying supernova theory. Theoretical models propose proton acceleration and search for lower-energy counterpart emission using NASA telescopes.
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory uses a one cubic kilometer block of ice in Antarctica to track high-energy particles called neutrinos. The observatory enables the detection of new cosmic events, such as a recent Glashow resonance event detected by IceCube, which validated the Standard Model of particle physics.
Researchers propose a new type of dark energy that could explain conflicting measurements of the universe's expansion rate. The theory suggests that dark energy underwent a phase transition triggered by the universe's expansion, resulting in a more consistent explanation for observed phenomena.
The Tibet ASgamma experiment has discovered gamma rays beyond 100 TeV from a supernova remnant, suggesting that cosmic-ray nuclei are accelerated up to PeV energy and collide with a nearby molecular cloud. This discovery identifies the first candidate object in the Milky Way that can accelerate cosmic rays up to 1 PeV.
Red supergiants are extremely bright but difficult to study due to their complex upper atmospheres. Astronomers have now developed a new technique to estimate their surface temperatures using iron absorption lines. By combining these temperatures with accurate distance measurements, researchers found consistent results with theory.
A team of researchers used stellar kinematics to study dark matter in ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, revealing a dense core and limited scattering. This challenges existing theories on self-interacting dark matter, suggesting that supernova explosions may be responsible for less dense distributions.
Astronomers have discovered a unique 'heart-shape' with intricate gas filaments at the centre of the Crab Nebula. The new 3D reconstruction challenges traditional supernova theories and provides unprecedented insights into the explosion.
Physicists at MIT searched for axions in Betelgeuse, a nearby star expected to burn out soon, but found no signs of the hypothetical dark matter particles. The null result sets new constraints on axion properties, making it harder to detect them through X-ray signals.
Researchers used Hubble's imagery to wind back the clock on a supernova remnant, pinpointing its age and centre. The study found that light from the blast arrived at Earth 1700 years ago, during the decline of the Roman Empire.
Astronomers have traced the speedy shrapnel from a nearby supernova blast to calculate its location and time, yielding an estimated explosion age of 1,700 years ago. The researchers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and analyzed visible-light observations made 10 years apart.
Scientists discovered a rare magnetar in the Sculptor constellation as the source of giant gamma-ray burst GRB 200415A. The burst was powerful enough to disrupt mobile phone reception and shed light on the universe's early history.
Astronomers have detected a signature of magnetar outbursts in nearby galaxies, allowing for more precise localization and study of these extreme stars. The discovery provides new insights into the behavior of magnetars, which are thought to be the source of some types of short gamma-ray bursts.
New research from Northwestern University has found that including all three flavors of neutrinos in a study provides deeper knowledge of dying stars and unravels existing hypotheses. The study reveals that ignoring any flavor can lead to incomplete results, emphasizing the importance of complexity in models.
A new machine learning algorithm has classified over 2,300 supernovae with an accuracy rate of 82%, using real data from the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey. The classifier was trained on a subset of supernovae with spectra and then applied to the remaining data, achieving high accuracy rates.
Researchers developed SuperNova2, an enhanced version of phototoxic protein SuperNova, for localized oxidative stress and molecular biology tasks. The new protein displays high speed and completeness of maturation, making it suitable for various applications.
A team of scientists from Michigan State University discovered that supernovae can forge carbon atoms over 10 times faster than previously thought. This finding challenges existing theories about the creation of Earth's heavy elements, particularly ruthenium and molybdenum isotopes.
A team of researchers has analyzed data to infer the nature of compact object orbiting within LS 5039, the brightest gamma-ray binary system in the Galaxy. The team suggests that particle acceleration process is caused by interactions between dense stellar winds and ultra-strong magnetic fields of a rotating magnetar.
Researchers found evidence suggesting that relatively close supernovas could have triggered four disruptions to Earth's climate over the last 40,000 years. The study used tree ring records to search for fingerprints of distant cosmic explosions, with promising candidates including a 13,000-year-old Vela supernova.
Apep, the newest star to join an elite club of elegant binary pairs, has been found to break all rules. Its dust spiral is expanding four times slower than the measured stellar winds, a phenomenon unheard of in other systems. This discovery makes Apep a strong contender for producing a gamma-ray burst when it does finally explode.
Hubble observed SN 2018gv in February 2018 to precisely measure the universe's expansion rate. The supernova serves as a 'milepost marker' to calculate galaxy distances and fundamental values needed for measuring space expansion.
Researchers have confirmed the existence of a supernova that exploded near Earth 2.5 million years ago, producing iron-60 and manganese-53. The discovery was made using ultra-trace analysis, which detected the presence of these elements in ancient sediment layers.
A 100 million light year away, an unusual Type Ia supernova has been observed by a Florida State University led research team. The supernova's slow brightening and unusual characteristics are unlike any other, providing valuable insights into the origins of these powerful explosions.
A team of scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has mapped the immense envelope of gas surrounding the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest large galactic neighbor. The study reveals a layered structure with two main shells of gas, and sheds light on the fuel for future star formation and outflows from supernovae.
Scientists detected high levels of the radioactive isotope 60Fe in deep-sea sediment samples, indicating exposure to supernova ejecta. The findings suggest that supernova-produced 60Fe permeates the interstellar medium and has been deposited on Earth over the past 33,000 years.
Researchers found clear traces of iron-60 in deep-sea sediments dating back 33,000 years, suggesting the Earth has been traveling through a cloud of faintly radioactive dust. The discovery suggests that the solar system may have recently passed through a denser cloud of gas and dust, known as the local interstellar cloud.
A team of researchers from the University of Kansas blames a series of supernovae explosions for triggering the end-Devonian extinction event. The ionizing radiation caused internal damage in large animals and organisms, leading to mass extinctions of armored fish and trilobites.
A new study led by University of Illinois astronomer Brian Fields explores the possibility that astronomical events were responsible for an extinction event 359 million years ago. Researchers found evidence suggesting long-lasting ozone-depletion, which could be caused by killer cosmic rays from nearby supernovae.
Scientists have made key discovery using pre-solar grains found in primitive meteorites, providing new insights into stellar explosions and element formation. The new method involves analyzing chemical and isotopic composition of grains to study nuclear reactions like proton capture on chlorine.
A Northwestern University-led team examined a calcium-rich supernova dubbed SN 2019ehk with X-ray imaging, providing an unprecedented glimpse into the star during its final month of life and ultimate explosion. The study revealed that the event is a compact star shedding an outer layer of gas before exploding, producing bright X-rays.
Researchers obtained critical data on a special type of exploding star, known as calcium-rich supernovae, which produce vast quantities of calcium. These events account for up to half of the calcium found in the universe and provide insights into how elements are expelled during a supernova explosion.
A Northwestern University-led team has uncovered the true nature of rare, mysterious events called calcium-rich supernovae. The researchers used X-ray imaging to study a calcium-rich supernova and found that it is a compact star shedding an outer layer of gas before exploding, producing bright X-rays and massive amounts of calcium.
Astronomers have spotted a spectacular UV flash accompanying a type Ia supernova, providing clues to understanding how white dwarfs explode and creating iron. The event may also shed light on dark energy and the universe's formation.
The Gemini Observatory has detected a distant short gamma-ray burst (SGRB) with an optical afterglow, providing new insights into the merger of two neutron stars. The observation, made just hours after the burst's detection, revealed the SGRB's distance and placed it in the epoch of cosmic high noon.
A team of scientists from the University of Warwick has discovered a white dwarf star that survived a partial thermonuclear supernova explosion. The star, SDSS J1240+6710, is traveling at an incredible velocity of 900,000 km/h and has a low mass consistent with the loss of mass during the explosion.
Researchers have discovered an unusual pulsar in a binary system with two neutron stars of different masses, which could provide vital clues about unsolved mysteries in astrophysics. The discovery, published in Nature, sheds light on the expansion rate of the Universe and the nature of exotic matter that makes up neutron star interiors.
Researchers measured gas motions throughout the Milky Way and a nearby galaxy, finding that cold molecular gas motions appear to fluctuate in velocity, reminiscent of ocean waves. The team discovered that equidistantly spaced structure shows distinctive pattern, with periodic spacing likely resulting from gravitational instability.
Astronomers detected a massive star in the Kinman Dwarf galaxy that vanished without producing a supernova. Theories suggest the star may have collapsed into a black hole or been transformed by dust, challenging current understanding of massive star deaths.
A lab machine has been developed to mimic the explosion of a giant star, allowing researchers to study the formation of supernovas and their impact on galaxy evolution. The device replicates the blast wave's effects on gas layers, enabling scientists to better understand the creation of beautiful swirls in supernova remnants.
Scientists created a scaled-down shock wave in the lab, mimicking supernova remnants. The study found that turbulent electromagnetic fields within the shock boost electron speeds, allowing particles to escape and gain even more speed.
Researchers have successfully detected gamma rays from the Crab Nebula using a next-generation telescope, shedding new light on supernovae and dark matter. The prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope promises to enhance imaging detail over larger field of view across the sky.
Scientists have found two new objects that, along with AT2018cow, represent a type of stellar explosion significantly different from others. The new explosions, called Fast Blue Optical Transients (FBOTs), share characteristics with supernovae and gamma-ray bursts but differ in important aspects.
Astronomers have identified a supernova at least twice as bright and energetic as any recorded, with calculations suggesting it may be an extremely rare 'pulsational pair-instability' supernova. The explosion was powered by a collision between the supernova and a massive shell of gas.
Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory and CERN studied the neutron-shell structure of a nucleus with fewer protons than lead and more neutrons than 126, revealing new insights into heavy element formation. This study informs models of stellar events and the early universe.
Using DES data, researchers found more than 300 trans-Neptunian objects, including 245 discoveries made by DES. The method developed by Pedro Bernardinelli can also be used to search for TNOs in upcoming astronomy surveys.
Researchers at the University of Washington and Lowell Observatory found that Betelgeuse's surface temperature remains relatively stable despite recent dimming. The team calculated the average surface temperature of the star using a filter to 'dampen' its light, revealing a surface temperature of around 3,325 degrees Celsius.
Swedish and Japanese researchers found a new explanation for the emission lines of SN 2006gy, a superluminous supernova. The discovery led to a revised understanding of how the supernova arose, with a double star system involving a white dwarf and massive hydrogen-rich star implicated.
Superluminous supernova SN 2006gy was found to be a Type Ia explosion that interacted with a dense shell of circumstellar material, producing an unusual spectrum with unidentified emission lines. The iron lines were identified as evidence of the interaction, which is consistent with observations and simulations.
Scientists with the HAWC Collaboration have detected gamma-ray emissions at unprecedented energy levels above 56 TeV. The findings suggest the presence of Galactic accelerators, known as PeVatrons, which could be a new area of research for pulsars and supernova remnants.
Researchers have discovered that tidal effects from a close binary companion can cause a star to spin fast enough to launch material into space, forming a gamma-ray burst. This phenomenon is necessary for creating the most luminous events in the universe, observable from Earth when their jet of material is pointed directly at us.
Researchers used neon isotopes to date silicon carbide grains in the Murchison CM2 meteorite, finding 60% with ages under 300 million years. Grains over 1 billion years old suggest shielded survival through supernova shockwaves.
A team of scientists has successfully measured the electron capture rate in intermediate-mass stars, revealing that they are more likely to undergo a thermonuclear explosion than collapse. This finding has significant implications for galactic chemical evolution and the discovery of iron-60 in deep-sea sediments.