Articles tagged with Stellar Dynamics
Astronomers have discovered the first globular cluster stellar stream outside the Milky Way, providing a powerful tool for studying dark matter. The study uses the stream's shape to reconstruct the galaxy's gravitational field and infer how dark matter shaped the stars' orbits.
Researchers have discovered a globular cluster stellar stream in another galaxy, offering new insights into the nature of dark matter. The study demonstrates that these streams can be used to measure dark matter content beyond our own galaxy, opening doors to a broader understanding of its behavior.
Researchers observe star fragments plowing through surrounding gas, tracing the recycling process that supplies raw materials for new planets and stars. The study offers a glimpse into the potential fate of our Sun, which will shed its outer layers and return material to the Milky Way.
Astronomers have discovered water molecules in the envelope of star IRS 3, located near the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. The star's enormous envelope, fueled by rapid mass loss, has allowed water to thrive in its vicinity. This finding suggests that Sgr A* is being enriched with fundamental building blocks of life.
The SDSS-V survey has released its twentieth public data release (DR20), providing a massive catalog of high-quality spectra of stars across the Milky Way. The dataset includes over two million total spectra, revealing temperatures, ages, and chemical compositions of stars.
Researchers from Kyushu University found that low-density gas contributes to hub growth through direct inflow and by replenishing nearby dense filaments, substantially underestimating the material available for massive star formation. The study's combined analysis of dense and diffuse gas increased estimated material flowing onto hubs ...
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey has released its 20th data set, featuring over three million spectra of stars and galaxies, as well as 18 new value-added catalogs. This release marks a significant expansion of the survey's efforts, integrating full all-sky panoptic spectroscopy across both hemispheres.
Researchers have observed the strongest evidence yet for a companion star to Betelgeuse, which is about two to three times more massive than the Sun. The team used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to obtain the clearest image of Betelgeuse B.
Astronomers discovered a giant planet orbiting a dead star, WD1856b, and used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to analyze its atmosphere. The study found the planet migrated toward its dead companion billions of years after the star died, surviving destruction through extreme heat.
Gravastars may form when a star collapses under its own mass, triggering the creation of a mini universe with dark energy. This equilibrium stabilizes the object, preventing it from becoming a black hole.
Researchers use helioseismology to track sound waves inside the Sun, finding a gradual change in structure just beneath the surface that spans multiple cycles. This discovery reveals a shift towards more tightly confined magnetic activity near the surface, with implications for space weather predictions.
A team at the University of Arizona discovered exceptionally fast and powerful galactic winds from quasars a billion years after the Big Bang. These winds could have caused galaxies to lose gas supplies, effectively shutting down star formation. The study suggests that quasars with extreme outflows were more common in the early univers...
Researchers found our Sun joined a mass migration of similar stars 4-6 billion years ago, shedding light on galaxy evolution and the corotation barrier. The discovery reveals the time range over which the bar structure at the galactic center was formed.
Researchers discovered a star in the Andromeda Galaxy that vanished without going supernova, instead collapsing directly into a black hole. The team's analysis revealed the process of stellar collapse and provided evidence for convection's role in shaping a black hole's outer layers.
A University of Arizona-led research team has measured the dynamics and ever-changing hot gas shell from where the solar wind originates. The study helps scientists answer fundamental questions about energy and matter moving through the heliosphere, affecting space weather events and planetary orbits.
Scientists used multiple space-based instruments to track the evolution of a solar eruption, observing how it reduced background cosmic-ray activity. This approach has potential for improving space-weather forecasting and protecting satellites, astronauts, and power grids.
Two new research projects will bring advanced tools to Lick and McDonald Observatories, studying planet and star formation. The programs aim to extend the scientific reach of mid-sized telescopes, delivering new insights and demonstrating technologies for larger observatories.
A new study on TRAPPIST-1's flares could help scientists unravel how the star shapes its nearby planets, potentially in drastic ways. The researchers used observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and computer simulations to understand the physics behind TRAPPIST-1's temper tantrums.
Scientists studied the effects of two hot stars, Epsilon and Beta Canis Majoris, on the local interstellar clouds around our solar system. The team found that these stars' ultraviolet radiation ionized about 20% of the hydrogen atoms and 40% of the helium atoms in the clouds.
The team discovered a flat, spherical gas and dust structure resembling a diamond ring, formed by a massive star's radiation and winds. The 'Diamond Ring' is around 20 light years in diameter and shines strongly in infrared light.
New research reveals Pleiades star cluster as core of larger structure spanning 1,950 light-years, with similar ages and chemical compositions among its members. The study uses rotation-based approach to identify stars sharing origin story.
A Northwestern University-led team of astronomers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to capture the most detailed glimpse yet of a doomed star before it exploded. The study reveals that massive red supergiants rarely explode due to thick clouds of dust, but JWST's new capabilities can pierce through the dust to spot these phenomena.
Astronomers have devised a method to map the spottiness of distant stars using observations from NASA missions, improving understanding of planetary atmospheres and potential habitability. The new model, called StarryStarryProcess, can help discover more about exoplanet properties.
Roman will scan a large region of the cosmos every five days for two years, detecting around 27,000 type Ia supernovae and 60,000 core-collapse supernovae. These observations will help scientists understand dark energy, the universe's expansion, and fill gaps in our understanding of cosmic history.
A UK-led mission plans to recreate artificial solar eclipses in space to study the Sun's atmosphere and shed light on space weather. The MESOM mission would use a mini-satellite and the Moon's shadow to capture unprecedented views of the Sun's corona.
The Einstein Probe mission aims to probe X-ray transient sources and explosive astrophysical phenomena, contributing significantly to astronomical research. The mission's sophisticated observational instruments will enhance the detection of sudden X-ray transients and monitor variability in known celestial sources.
Advanced simulations reveal that PMOs form directly from disk interactions, inheriting material and moving synchronously with host stars. This discovery reshapes our understanding of cosmic diversity, suggesting a new class of objects born from gravitational chaos.
Scientists have imaged a star outside our galaxy for the first time, using ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The star, WOH G64, is a red supergiant in its last stages before becoming a supernova, and the image shows a unique egg-shaped cocoon of gas and dust surrounding it.
Convection motions have been tracked in detail on a red giant star for the first time, providing new insights into stellar behavior. The observations reveal giant, hot bubbles of gas appearing on the surface and sinking back into the star's interior faster than expected.
Researchers unveil previously unseen properties of neutron stars through gravitational wave analysis, providing insight into internal composition and dynamic material properties. The study places observational constraints on viscosity within neutron stars.
Astronomers have identified a massive stellar black hole with a mass of 33 solar masses, making it the most massive found in the Milky Way. The black hole is located at 2000 light-years away and was discovered using data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission.
Astrophysicists simulated 1,000 stars orbiting the galaxy's central supermassive black hole and found that collision survivors can lose mass to become stripped down low-mass stars or merge with other stars. The likelihood of collision increases for stars closer to the supermassive black hole.
Researchers have discovered a unique signature of planetary material ingestion on the surface of a white dwarf star, WD 0816-310. The team observed a concentration of metals imprinted on the star's surface, indicating that the magnetic field played a key role in this process.
Researchers have created a three-dimensional computer simulation of the light emitted following a neutron star merger, producing results similar to an observed kilonova. The simulation takes into account various processes and material interactions, enabling predictions for any viewing direction.
A WVU astronomer is searching the Milky Way for debris left behind by supernovas, with $331,170 in NSF funding. He hopes to discover new supernova remnants using radio wavelength data from telescopes and machine-learning software.
Astrophysicists analyze James Webb Space Telescope images to find three bright objects that might be 'dark stars,' powering themselves with annihilating particles of dark matter. The discovery could reveal the nature of dark matter and solve the puzzle of galaxy formation.
A team of 995 undergraduate and graduate students analyzed 600 real solar flares, casting doubt on the theory that nanoflares heat up the sun's corona. The students' work provided a unique opportunity for early-career scientists to learn about collaborative research.
A team of scientists observed the dynamic formation process of interstellar gas clouds, revealing speeds of up to 20 km/s that compress gas into denser regions where massive stars form. The findings challenge previous assumptions of slow and quasi-static star formation processes in this region.
A team of astronomers has directly measured the mass of a dead star using gravitational microlensing, a phenomenon predicted by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The measurement, made for an isolated white dwarf called LAWD 37, provides new insights into star evolution and testing current theories of how white dwarfs evolve.
The Butterfly Nebula's unique shape is caused by a second star orbiting the central star, creating wing-like lobes. New research reveals powerful winds are altering the material within these lobes, contradicting existing models of planetary nebulae formation and evolution.
Researchers used the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury Triangulum Extended Region — or PHATTER — survey to study the Triangulum galaxy. The team discovered two drastically different structures depending on the age of the stars, with younger and older stars having distinct distributions.
Astronomers have imaged a red supergiant star's rapid self-destruction and final death throes before collapsing into a type II supernova. The discovery challenges previous ideas of how red supergiants evolve right before exploding.
Astronomers observed a young, sun-like star ejecting a massive burst of energy and charged particles, potentially bad news for satellites and power grids. The study suggests that similar events could have shaped planets like Earth and Mars over billions of years.
The special issue covers observations of exoplanet geology, composition, atmosphere, and potential habitability. SwRI researchers Dr. Natalie Hinkel and Dr. Cayman Unterborn collaborated with Dr. Oliver Shorttle to create a diverse overview of exoplanets, making it accessible to a wide community of scientists.
Recent studies suggest that cosmic rays, originating from supernova remnants and pulsars, have a significant impact on galactic dynamics and star formation. The streaming instability triggered by cosmic rays in the interstellar medium can create plasma waves that heat and scatter gas, influencing the formation of planets and stars.
A new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society found that superflares on red dwarf stars occur at high latitudes, near the star's poles, which means they are not directed towards orbiting exoplanets. This reduces the danger to planetary atmospheres and habitability.
The Institute for Advanced Study has been awarded a $1 million grant from Schmidt Futures to leverage advances in high-performance computing and deepen our understanding of cosmic phenomena, including neutron star mergers, star formation, and galaxy dynamics. The project aims to develop new numerical methods and tools to address challe...