Failed to register the shock wave of an explosion and the stars – TVN Meteo

When a star with a mass of at least eight times greater than the Sun end their lives, its core collapses, triggering a huge explosion.

KSN2011d

For many years, researchers could not investigate the early stages of a supernova because of this, that as long as they do not become very clear, it is difficult to spot. Kepler Space Telescope has helped fill this gap in science. At the beginning of the recorded supernova shock wave KSN2011d.

The Kepler telescope is designed to search for planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy. In this role, works great, but this device also provides other possibilities.

Thanks to six supernovae were discovered, two of which are type II P. became so clear that overshadowed their galaxy. By tracking the image of Kepler’s back, we become witnesses of how it happened. The light captured by the telescope Kepler analyzed the international team of scientists. They were led by Peter Garnavich, an astrophysicist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana in the Northeast United States.

Big Bang

Observations published in the journal Astrophysical Journal, and previously at the University Cornell University in New York. This patent describes a two supernovae explosions KSN2011a and KSN2011d. There were respectively 700 million and 1.2 billion light years from Earth, which is too far away to be able to examine them before they explode and become very clear. KSN Supernova 2011a is nearly 300 times greater than the Sun, and the other, more distant – approx. 500 times greater than our daytime star.

– To show it in perspective, the Earth’s orbit around the sun peacefully would fit in these giant stars, – says Garnavich.

Shockwave

Although the explosions two stars issued a similar impact energy shockwave called “shock breakout” was recorded only in the case of larger stars – supernova KSN2011d. According to scientists less of them (KSN2011a) could be surrounded by such a large amount of gas that at the moment of the explosion, the shock wave was he masked.

Thanks to the close observation of the stars KSN2011d, Space Telescope Kepler captures first moment of explosion and a shock wave propagating in the visible light range. Explosion, ending star life, lasted 14 days. During this time she became brighter, and finally went out. The moment of passage of the shock wave lasted 20 minutes. Capturing the events that occurred in such a short time is a huge achievement astronomers, as well as breakthroughs in science and the study of supernovae.