The discovery of a faint gamma-ray 'halo' around Geminga, a nearby pulsar, may hold the solution to a long-standing mystery about the amount of antimatter in our neighborhood. The halo's size and energy suggest that it could be responsible for as much as 20% of high-energy positrons detected by NASA's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.
Astronomers used ESO's VLT to observe the Milky Way's central region, revealing a burst of star formation that occurred around one billion years ago. This intense event resulted in over 100,000 supernova explosions and is similar to 'starburst' galaxies.
Researchers discovered gigantic clouds of gaseous carbon spanning over 30,000 light-years around young galaxies using ALMA. The findings indicate that carbon atoms produced inside stars in the early Universe have spread beyond galaxies, challenging current understanding of cosmic evolution.
Scientists have obtained precise measurements of a pulsar's size and mass, as well as the first-ever map of hot spots on its surface using NASA's NICER telescope. The new data reveals that pulsars are not simple objects with powerful magnetic fields, but rather complex systems with multiple hot spots.
A team of international researchers has discovered approximately 100 red transients in publicly available sky data from the 1950s to the present, which could be attributed to natural astrophysical phenomena or rare events. The findings have potential implications for our understanding of stellar evolution and active galactic nuclei.
A team of scientists has detected extremely energetic light particles from the violent death of a heavy star, shedding new light on gamma ray bursts. By measuring the distance and energy of these particles, researchers gained insights into the extreme physical processes involved in star deaths.
Scientists have detected gamma-rays from two gamma-ray bursts with ground-based telescopes, producing energies up to 100 billion times that of visible light. The observations provide insights into the gigantic explosions and their physical mechanisms.
A radio telescope in the Western Australian outback has captured a new view of the Milky Way's centre, revealing remnants of 27 massive stars that exploded as supernovae. The data comes from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA survey, which used low-frequency radio waves to map the sky.
NICER detected a record-breaking X-ray burst from pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658, revealing a two-step change in brightness caused by the ejection of separate layers from the pulsar surface. The observations also show X-rays reflecting off of the accretion disk and burst oscillations.
Researchers developed a theory that sheds light on detonation formation at the heart of supernovae explosions, demonstrating the process using experiments and numerical simulations. The study predicts the conditions for detonation formation in Type Ia supernovae, providing insight into fundamental aspects of physical processes.
Researchers found evidence for low-mass black holes, potentially opening up a new area of study about star explosions and formation. The discovery uses data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment and identifies a class of black holes smaller than previously known.
William Zhang won the Goddard Technology Award for developing ultra-lightweight and sensitive X-ray mirrors using mono-crystalline silicon. This innovation could represent a paradigm shift in X-ray astronomy, enabling more efficient and detailed observations of celestial targets.
Astronomers have discovered a year-long plateau in the decline of Type Ia supernova light curves, challenging previous expectations. This unexpected behavior will impact the way astronomers measure the expansion of the universe and provide new insights into these powerful explosions.
Astronomers using the Green Bank Telescope have discovered a millisecond pulsar with a massive neutron star at its center, packing 2.17 times the mass of our Sun into a sphere only 30 kilometers across. This finding approaches the limits of how massive and compact an object can become without crushing itself down into a black hole.
A team of astrophysicists discovered a connection between the brightening of pulsar wind nebula and the spin-down rate transition in PSR B0540-69. The study found that the X-ray PWN around PSR B0540-69 increased by 32% over 400 days, indicating a sudden enhancement of the magnetic field that powers the pulsar wind.
A TUM research team discovered iron-60 in Antarctic snow, ruling out cosmic radiation and nuclear sources. The isotope's presence suggests the solar system recently passed through an interstellar gas cloud.
Researchers used Stampede2 to study shock turbulence interactions at high turbulence intensities, exploring amplification factors, shock jumps and turbulent Mach number. The study aims to improve understanding of turbulent flows interacting with shock waves, enabling advancements in supersonic aircraft design and supernova research.
A new study suggests that stellar collapse causes instabilities, preventing the formation of heavier black holes. The researchers propose that nuclear star clusters might act as 'black-hole nurseries', providing an ideal environment for generating generations of black holes.
A team of astronomers at Ohio State University used NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite to observe a Type Ia supernova, the first of its kind to measure hydrogen in its spectra. The discovery challenges traditional theories on why white dwarf stars explode and could provide new insights into the elements left behind.
Astronomers have developed a new method to measure the expansion of the Universe by analyzing neutron star mergers and gravitational waves. This technique uses the orientation of the gravitational wave signal to determine the distance, providing a new 'cosmic ruler' for measuring the Hubble Constant.
The Tibet ASgamma experiment has discovered the highest energy gamma rays ever observed from an astrophysical source, exceeding 450 TeV. The most energetic gamma rays were produced by interaction between high-energy electrons and cosmic microwave background radiation.
The Hubble Space Telescope has observed multiple supernovae in the spiral galaxy NGC 4051, revealing Type Ic supernovae produced by massive star core collapse. These events are scattered throughout the center and spiral arms of the galaxy.
New research suggests that most of Earth's heavy elements, including gold and platinum, were spewed from collapsars, a rare type of star explosion. This finding challenges the widely held belief that these elements come from collisions between neutron stars or black holes.
The article discusses NICER's nighttime X-ray sweeps of the entire sky, tracing magnetic fields and energetic particles. These observations provide insights into neutron star properties and the formation of pulsars, shedding light on the mysteries of matter in their cores.
A team of researchers identified 5 super luminous supernovae and about 400 Type Ia supernovae using the Subaru Telescope's Hyper Suprime-Cam. The discovery includes 58 Type Ia supernovae 8 billion light years away, revealing new insights into the expansion of the Universe.
Researchers suggest ancient supernovae induced proto-humans to walk on two legs, resulting in bipedalism and eventual human evolution. The study proposes that atmospheric ionization triggered an upsurge in cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, igniting forest fires and stimulating the transition from woodland to savanna.
Astronomers have discovered an unusual celestial object, likely the result of two white dwarfs merging and fusing heavier elements. The star's strong stellar wind and magnetic field accelerate its collapse into a neutron star, culminating in a massive supernova explosion.
Astronomers found that early supernovae ejected violent jets, enriching the gas clouds of subsequent stars. The team's discovery challenges previous assumptions about the first stars' explosions.
Astronomers detect unusual chemical signature in ASASSN-18tb supernova, potentially resolving longstanding mystery surrounding their origins. The discovery offers new insights into the mechanism and players involved in creating Type Ia supernovae.
Researchers discovered that almost all blue supergiants shimmer in brightness due to waves on their surface, enabling the study of their internal physics and chemistry. This breakthrough enables astronomers to probe the progenitors of supernovae from a novel perspective.
Researchers used heavy ion accelerator to demonstrate nickel 78's stability, finding it maintains spherical shape like doubly magic isotope, but with a surprise: lighter isotones may lose magic nature due to deformation.
Astronomers found a pulsar hurtling through space at nearly 2.5 million miles an hour, faster than 99% of those with measured speeds. The discovery sheds light on how supernova explosions can accelerate neutron stars to high speeds.
Astronomers have found a pulsar that has escaped the debris of a supernova explosion and is now speeding away at nearly 700 miles per second. The discovery provides important insights into how pulsars can gain speed from supernovae.
Researchers observed that massive stars losing mass to companion stars before exploding can create Type Ib or IIb supernovae. Stellar winds also play a role in the process, especially for high-mass stars.
Researchers revised the megalodon shark's extinction timeline, finding evidence of genuine fossil occurrences until 3.6 million years ago. The team proposes that competition with great white sharks led to megalodon's demise, rather than a supernova or marine mass extinction.
Researchers measured temperatures of slow-moving gas atoms surrounding a star after an exploding star's shock wave, answering a long-standing question about their physical processes. The results confirm the relationship between atomic weight and temperature, settling an important issue in astrophysics.
A rare nearby hypernova has provided new insights into the connection between gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. Researchers discovered a hot cocoon around the jets of matter expelled by the central engine, explaining why some hypernovae do not produce GRBs.
Astronomers have detected a new component in the death of massive stars, linking gamma-ray bursts and hypernovae. The study reveals an additional hot cocoon generated around the jet, explaining differences between GRBs and hypernovae.
Researchers observe evidence of a 'hot cocoon' material enveloping a relativistic jet escaping a dying star, providing insight into the earliest moments of a supernova. The discovery was made using a coordinated approach with space- and ground-based observatories.
Astronomers have observed a rare supernova that provides a unique glimpse into the physics of black hole or neutron star creation. The object, known as AT2018cow, is thought to be the formation of an accreting black hole or neutron star.
Researchers identified hydrogen-rich debris shed by a companion star, revealing it was likely a red giant or similar star that made its partner go supernova. This discovery sheds light on the types of companions that trigger Type Ia supernovae, which are used for cosmological studies.
Astronomers have found the first evidence of a 'super-remnant' formed from repeated star explosions in the Andromeda Galaxy. The remnant measures almost 400 light years across and is associated with the most frequent nova explosions known, occurring once a year.
New work from the Carnegie Supernova Project provides precise calibrations for using type Ia supernovae to measure cosmic distances. This improvement helps astronomers better understand how fast the universe is expanding and the potential impact of dark energy on this process.
A team suggests that a supernova or series of supernovae may have caused mass extinctions of large ocean animals, including the massive shark species Megalodon. The energy from these cosmic events would have triggered climate change and increased cancer rates in larger animals due to penetrating particles called muons.
The discovery of ASASSN-18bt, a Type Ia supernova, has revealed an unexpected pattern in the light from its first hours, complicating our understanding of how these phenomena originate. The findings suggest that the genesis of Type Ia supernovae is even more mysterious than previously thought.
The ESO's VLT captured the details of an elaborate serpentine system sculpted by colliding stellar winds, with Apep being a likely source of one of the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. The system consists of a nest of massive stars surrounded by a dust pinwheel.
Astronomers have found a rare gamma-ray burst candidate in the Milky Way's star system Apep, which could pose a threat to Earth. The system, featuring a pair of scorchingly luminous stars, is thought to be on the brink of a massive supernova explosion.
Researchers have discovered a new massive star system dubbed 'Apep,' featuring a slow-moving dust pinwheel that defies current theories on how large stars die. The system's unusual rotation is thought to cause the star to collapse at its poles before the equator, producing a gamma-ray burst.
Researchers have discovered a binary star system containing massive Wolf-Rayet stars that are spinning extremely fast, producing incredibly fast winds. The system's wind speeds are 100,000 times quicker than a hurricane on Earth, while the surrounding dust cloud moves at a much slower pace, suggesting unequal gas distribution.
Two teams of astronomers uncovered the presumed precursor star in pre-explosion photos taken in 2007, shedding light on stellar evolution and mass distribution. The discovery suggests two possible scenarios: a single massive star or a binary-star system.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a founding member of LaserNetUS, a national research network for high-intensity lasers. The network provides access to the country's most powerful lasers, enabling researchers to study extreme conditions and applications such as medicine and manufacturing.
The University of Texas at Austin will be a key player in LaserNetUS, a new national network of institutions operating high-intensity lasers. UT Austin's Texas Petawatt Laser will collaborate with leading optical and plasma physics scientists from around the US to advance research.
Colorado State University has been selected for the new nationwide high-intensity laser network, LaserNetUS. The network will give U.S. scientists access to some of the most intense laser sources available, including petawatt-class lasers with power output exceeding all world's power plants.
Researchers have discovered an ultra-stripped supernova, a rare type of supernova believed to play a role in forming binary neutron star systems. The discovery advances understanding of gravitational waves and the origin of precious metals.
A Caltech-led team observed a faint and rapidly fading supernova, suggesting the presence of an unseen companion gravitationally siphoning away the star's mass. The explosion resulted in a dead neutron star orbiting its dense companion, marking the first time scientists have witnessed the birth of a compact neutron star binary system.
Astronomers have observed a massive star's death, creating a compact neutron star binary system. The explosion was unusually faint and the star had an unseen companion that siphoned away most of its mass.
A team of scientists has detected highly energetic radiation from a microquasar, shedding light on extreme particle acceleration and jet physics. The findings improve our understanding of particle acceleration in jets of microquasars, offering insights into more extreme events at the centers of distant galaxies.
The HAWC observatory has identified spectacular details of the processes responsible for high-energy radiation in microquasar SS 433. This is a rare opportunity to observe the object in detail, as its jets are directed almost perpendicular to our line of sight.
Scientists have detected gamma rays coming from the outermost regions of SS 433, a black hole system in our galaxy. The High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Observatory (HAWC) has observed these high-energy signals, which suggest electron acceleration and collisions at the ends of microquasar jets produced them.
Astrophysicists use 3D simulations to explain how luminous blue variables launch material into space through intense light and turbulent motion. The study sheds light on the violent mood swings of rare, massive stars that can shed billions of metric tons of material annually.