NASA Finds Remnants of Rare Star Explosions in the Core of the Milky Way

Suara.com – NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory found the remains of a stellar explosion or supernova rare near the center Milky Way.

A supernova is a stellar explosion phenomenon that marks the death of a star.

Sagitarius A East (or Sgr A East) is a supernova remnant that lies near Sagittarius A *, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

The supernova remnant is the first known example in the Milky Way galaxy of a rare type of exploding white dwarf star, called a Type Iax supernova.

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“Although we have found Type Iax supernovae in other galaxies, we have not identified any evidence in the Milky Way until now,” said Ping Zhou, lead author of the study from Nanjing University in China. Space.com, Friday (12/3/2021).

According to him, this discovery is important for knowing the various ways of exploding white dwarfs.

There are various types of stellar explosions, ranging from those triggered by the collapse of a massive star to those triggered by a tiny white dwarf, which draws too much material from a companion star or collides with another white dwarf.

White dwarf explosions (commonly called Type Ia supernovae) are a source of important elements such as chromium, iron and nickel in the universe.

However, using Chandra’s observations, astronomers found that Sgr A East produced different amounts of this important element and created an explosion that was less intense than a Type Ia supernova.

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This indicates that Sgr A East is a Type Iax supernova.

“The results of these explosions tell us about the diversity of types and causes of white dwarf explosions and the different ways the stars make important elements,” said Shing-Chi Leung, co-author of the study from the California Institute of Technology.

According to him, if it were true about the identity of this supernova remnant, it would be the closest known example to Earth.

To find the difference between these two types of supernovae, astronomers observe thermonuclear reactions, which trigger stellar explosions, moving more slowly.

The movement through a white dwarf that produces Type Iax supernovae as compared to Type Ia supernovae.

A slower thermonuclear reaction will produce a weaker explosion. According to NASA, part of the white dwarf may also have been left behind during a Type Iax supernova.

In addition to X-ray data from Chandra, astronomers are also using computer models to simulate slow-moving nuclear reactions in white dwarfs.

In a study published in The Astrophysical Journal, a computer model supporting Chandra’s observations at Sgr A East confirms that it is a Type Iax supernova remnant.

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