Articles tagged with White Dwarfs
A team of astronomers tested Einstein's theory of general relativity using a three-star system and found almost no detectable difference between the pulsar and inner white dwarf, indicating little room for alternative theories of gravity. The study confirms that relativity still applies even in extreme gravity systems.
Scientists have observed a contracting white dwarf for the first time, providing insights into young stars' evolution. The discovery suggests that young white dwarfs contract as they age, challenging current understanding of their behavior.
The Hitomi mission has provided unprecedented insights into the chemical composition of hot gas in the Perseus galaxy cluster. Scientists have found that the proportions of iron-peak elements are nearly identical to those seen in our solar system, suggesting a similar chemical evolution process.
A team of Brazilian astronomers observed a unique binary system consisting of a low-mass white dwarf and a brown dwarf. The white dwarf's existence was cut off due to the loss of matter caused by the companion, resulting in its premature death and transformation into a white dwarf.
Physicists Denis A. Baiko and Andrew A. Kozhberov studied the effects of strong magnetic fields and electron screening on ion motion in a Coulomb crystal. Their calculations can help understand the thermal evolution of neutron stars and white dwarfs.
Astronomers have discovered the most luminous nova ever seen in a nearby galaxy, using data from the Swift satellite observatory. The study provides insights into white dwarf eruptions, including the possibility of a supernova explosion in the future.
A team of researchers found evidence that a Type Ia supernova explosion was triggered by a violent helium detonation on the surface of a white dwarf star. The study used the Hyper Suprime-Cam camera on the Subaru Telescope to discover and analyze a recent supernova, providing the first solid evidence supporting this theory.
A team of researchers has discovered a type Ia supernova that can be explained by the ignition of helium on a white dwarf's surface, marking a significant breakthrough in understanding this phenomenon. The team used Hyper Suprime-Cam mounted on the Subaru Telescope to detect over 100 supernovae candidates in one night.
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that the unique binary star system AR Scorpii exhibits variability on a timescale of decades, contrary to initial expectations. The study found that the system's brightness more than doubled in minutes and hours, but also showed long-term changes over decades.
A team of UChicago scientists have detected X-ray photons from a type Ia supernova for the first time, indicating dense circumstellar material. The finding challenges current understanding of these explosions and raises questions about their formation.
Researchers have discovered two detached, eclipsing double white dwarf binaries with orbital periods under an hour, producing significant gravitational waves. One binary is believed to be a new verification source for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, a gravitational wave satellite.
Astronomers have discovered a white dwarf with low mass, high velocity and strange composition that may be the remnants of a Type Iax supernova. The calculated age of the explosion suggests it occurred between five and 50 million years ago.
A team of UCSB astrophysicists observed a supernova colliding with a nearby companion star, revealing surprising information about the mysterious star. The study demonstrates that the supernova collided with a non-white dwarf companion, implying the white dwarf was stealing matter from a larger companion to explode.
Astronomers have caught a cosmic event in great detail, observing a supernova and its explosive ejecta slamming into a nearby companion star. The discovery was made possible by a specialized survey taking advantage of recent advances in linking telescopes across the globe.
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers measured the deflection of light rays as they passed near a white dwarf star, providing a solid estimate of its mass. The result confirms theoretical predictions and offers insights into the star's structure and composition.
Astronomers used Hubble Space Telescope to repeat a century-old test of general relativity by measuring the deflection of light from a background star. The result provides a solid estimate of the white dwarf's mass and yields insights into theories of its structure and composition.
An international research team led by Kailash C. Sahu observed the gravitational microlensing effect in a star other than the Sun, confirming a key prediction of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The study determined the mass of a white dwarf star, providing new insights into galaxy evolution and the history of stars.
Scientists have successfully observed a white dwarf star using the bending of distant starlight by gravity, allowing them to determine its mass for the first time. This observation demonstrates a way to measure the masses of objects that cannot be easily measured by other means.
Researchers developed a new methodology to calculate theoretical spectra for atoms and molecules in strong magnetic fields exhibited by up to one-fifth of white dwarfs. This work sheds light on the presence of oxygen, silicon, phosphorous, carbon, and carbon-containing compounds in these collapsed stars.
Astronomers have observed a star orbiting a black hole at a rate of nearly twice an hour, marking the tightest orbital dance between a black hole and a companion star ever seen. The discovery was made using the combined power of three advanced telescopes.
Astronomers have found evidence for a star orbiting a black hole at an unprecedented distance, about twice an hour. The close-in binary system, located 14,800 light years from Earth, provides valuable insights into the behavior of black holes and their companion stars.
Scientists at Michigan State University are studying the atomic nucleus of exploding stars to gain insights into their evolution and the creation of elements in our universe. They have made breakthroughs in understanding the production of rare isotopes like aluminum-26, which could shed light on the amount of water on Earth.
A UCLA-led team of scientists has discovered a white dwarf star with an atmosphere rich in carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen, the components of water. The study suggests that the planetary system associated with the white dwarf contains materials necessary for life.
Researchers have identified an exotic binary star system as the first white dwarf pulsar ever discovered in the universe. The star, AR Scorpii, is a rapidly spinning, burnt-out stellar remnant that emits powerful beams of radiation and particles.
Scientists have discovered incredibly rapid gas flares from a white dwarf binary star system for the first time. The unusual activity was observed at radio wavelengths in SS Cyg, one of the brightest variable stars in the constellation of Cygnus.
Astrophysicists propose that inspiraling white dwarfs could produce a type of explosion that matches Type Ia supernovae. The model suggests that resonance in the binary orbit of the stars causes rapid jumps in energy that can lead to detonation.
Research from the University of Warwick suggests that Planet Nine's existence could lead to the elimination of a giant planet and its ejection into interstellar space. The hypothetical planet's presence could cause a 'pinball' effect, hurling planets out of the solar system as the sun dies in around seven billion years.
Astronomers have discovered a unique white dwarf binary system, AR Scorpii, exhibiting powerful radio pulses that are unlike anything seen before from a white dwarf. The system's rapidly spinning white dwarf accelerates electrons, releasing radiation in a lighthouse-like beam that affects its cool red dwarf companion.
Astronomers using NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope discover a new type of exotic binary star system where a rapidly spinning white dwarf powers electrons to almost the speed of light, causing radiation blasts that lash the companion red dwarf star, resulting in dramatic pulses every 1.97 minutes.
Researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered a new type of exotic binary star that produces powerful beams of particles and radiation, affecting its nearby companion star. The star, AR Scorpii, has a white dwarf with intense magnetic fields that accelerate electrons in the atmosphere of the red dwarf to close to the speed o...
A team of astronomers discovered a brown dwarf born as a full-fledged star, stripped to its current mass through stellar cannibalism. The brown dwarf was detected in a binary system with a tight orbit around a white dwarf, where the white dwarf's gravity removes about 90% of the companion's mass.
A 1917 glass plate from the Carnegie Observatories' collection shows the first-ever evidence of a planetary system beyond our own Sun. The plate's spectrum revealed heavier elements, such as calcium and iron, which were expected to have disappeared into the star's interior due to their weight.
Researchers discovered a white dwarf star with an atmosphere dominated by oxygen, a finding that could rewrite the textbook wisdom of single stellar evolution. The discovery provides critical evidence for some types of supernovae and may be linked to interactions with a nearby companion or massive carbon pulses.
Researchers identified the orbital partner parasitized by a blue straggler, a star that appears younger and brighter than expected. The study expands our understanding of binary star systems, bringing 25% of all stars into the fold of stellar evolution.
A team of astronomers used data from the VLT to study the remains of an asteroid around a stellar remnant -- a white dwarf. They discovered an orbiting disc of gaseous material and found that it is lopsided and has not yet become circular.
Researchers capture first image of a debris ring orbiting a white dwarf star, revealing a spiral-like structure and 'inside-out' structure. The ring system is formed by the star's gravity tearing apart asteroids, emitting a dark red glow from gas produced by collisions.
Astronomers use Hubble Space Telescope to uncover blueprints of Milky Way's early construction phase, revealing the history of stars that existed 12 billion years ago. The study suggests the galaxy's bulge formed first and its stellar inhabitants were born quickly, with the rest of the galaxy growing more slowly.
Astronomers have spotted a large, rocky object disintegrating in its death spiral around a distant white dwarf star, confirming a long-standing theory behind the source of white dwarf 'pollution' by metals. The system shows signs of surrounding debris disk and at least one compact, rocky object.
Researchers discovered a previously unknown link between young star growth and black hole feeding habits, revealing the universality of accretion physics. The study found that young stellar objects' flickering light is similar to that of black holes and white dwarfs, supporting the idea that accretion is a universal process.
Astronomers discovered 'irregular heartbeats' in a dying star, caused by massive outbursts that break its regular pulse and heat up its surface. The phenomenon may reveal new physics behind stellar pulsations and could be triggered by resonance.
The causes of stellar explosions known as Type Ia supernovae have been debated for decades. Recent studies suggest that either one or two white dwarfs can trigger these events, shedding light on the evolution of galaxies and dark energy. Understanding this phenomenon will inform our study of the universe's expansion.
A new study suggests that rogue supernovas that explode in deep space were likely kicked out of their galaxies at high speeds and then ejected into space by the gravitational pull of a binary black hole. The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, used data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to trace 13 h...
Researchers have discovered a unique binary star system, Gaia14aae, where one star eclipses the other. The system is an important laboratory for studying ultra-bright supernova explosions, which help measure the expansion of the Universe.
The team discovered supernova iPTF 14atg using an automated software system that separates real astronomical transients from false detections. The system uses machine learning technology to identify events of astrophysical origin.
A team of astronomers witnessed a supernova smashing into a nearby star, creating an ultraviolet glow that reveals the size of the companion. The study provides new insights into the origin of type Ia supernovae.
Using supercomputer simulations, astronomers observed a flash of light caused by a supernova slamming into a nearby star, determining the stellar system from which it was born. This finding confirms one of two competing theories about the birth of Type Ia supernovae and suggests two distinct populations of these objects.
A team of Caltech astronomers detected a Type Ia supernova in nearby galaxy IC831, providing evidence for the single-degenerate model. The data suggest that the white dwarf's powerful gravity pulls material from the companion star, leading to a runaway nuclear reaction.
New research from the Palomar Transient Factory team provides evidence supporting the single degenerate channel theory for type Ia supernovae. The strong UV pulse detected in iPTF14atg indicates a collision between material ejected from the supernova and its companion star.
New research published by the University of Warwick finds evidence that water-rich asteroids or comets are common around other stars than the Sun. The study suggests that water can be delivered to planets like Earth via these bodies, potentially creating a suitable environment for life to form.
Astronomers have determined the pre-explosion mass of a white dwarf star that blew up thousands of years ago using archival data from the Japan-led Suzaku X-ray satellite. The study suggests that only a single white dwarf was involved in the explosion, contradicting a well-established alternative scenario.
Scientists have identified the fastest-moving unbound star in our galaxy, breaking the galactic speed record with a speed of 1,200 kilometers per second. The star, US708, was once part of a double-star solar system and is now expected to leave the Milky Way.
A team of astronomers has discovered the most massive pair of white dwarf stars yet found, which will merge in the future to form a runaway thermonuclear explosion leading to a Type Ia supernova. This discovery provides new insights into astronomical distances and dark energy, shedding light on the expansion of the Universe.
Astronomers observed unprecedented nova images that show the expanding thermonuclear fireball is more complicated than predicted. The research collaboration measured the nova on 27 nights over two months using CHARA's high-resolution telescopes, revealing an ellipticity of 13% and a rapid expansion rate of over 600 km/s.
Astronomers have taken the first time-lapse images of an expanding fireball from a 'nova' star, providing new insights into this rare celestial phenomenon. The data reveal that the fireball expands at a rate faster than previously predicted, engulfing a region comparable to Earth's orbit within a day.
High-resolution radio-telescope images have revealed the locations where a stellar explosion called a nova emitted gamma rays, a previously mystifying phenomenon. The discovery also provided insights into the probable mechanism of gamma-ray emissions in other nova explosions.
Researchers at the University of Warwick found that white dwarf stars crashing into neutron stars could be responsible for the loneliest supernovae. The team used observations from the Very Large Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope to rule out other explanations, such as binary systems or massive stars.
Astronomers discovered a star system that could have left behind a 'zombie star' after an unusually weak supernova explosion. The team used Hubble Space Telescope images taken years before the stellar explosion to identify a blue companion star feeding energy to a white dwarf.
Novae are sudden, short-lived brightenings of stars caused by thermonuclear explosions on white dwarf surfaces. NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected gamma-rays from these events, showing they release up to 100,000 times the annual energy output of the sun.
Researchers used the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to discover high-energy gamma rays emitted by an exploding star. The surprising finding dispels the notion that classical nova explosions lack the power to produce such radiation.
Astronomers confirm first self-lensing binary star system, where the closer star's mass is measured by its magnifying effect on light from its companion. This discovery improves research on white dwarfs and galaxy age, using gravitational lensing to reveal new insights into these celestial objects.