April 25, 2024

A Cosmic Powder Keg: When a Stable Star Explodes

This image reveals G344.7-0.1, a supernova remnant created by a so-called Type Ia supernova, portraying X-rays from Chandra, infrared data from Spitzer, and radio data from the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Type Ia supernovas can take place when a white dwarf pulls material from a companion star till the white dwarf grows so much that it ends up being unsteady and takes off. Studies of the aspects left behind by the explosion like this are some of the finest tools available to researchers to better comprehend the details of Type Ia supernovas. Both the broadening blast wave and the outstanding particles produce X-rays in supernova residues. These results support the forecasts of models for Type Ia supernova explosions, which reveal that heavier aspects are produced in the interior of an exploding white dwarf.

A paper explaining these results was released in the July 1st, 2020 problem of The Astrophysical Journal. The radio data were supplied by Elsa Giacani from the Institute of Astronomy and Space Physics, who led a study of G344.7-0.1 published in 2011 in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Recommendation: “Element Stratification in the Middle-aged SN Ia Remnant G344.7– 0.1” by Kotaro Fukushima, Hiroya Yamaguchi, Patrick O. Slane, Sangwook Park, Satoru Katsuda, Hidetoshi Sano, Laura A. Lopez, Paul P. Plucinsky, Shogo B. Kobayashi and Kyoko Matsushita, 2 July 2020, The Astrophysical Journal.DOI: 10.3847/ 1538-4357/ ab94a6.
NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatorys Chandra X-ray Center manages science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

White overshadows are amongst the most steady of stars. Left by themselves, these stars that have exhausted many of their nuclear fuel– while still usually as huge as the Sun– and shrunk to a relatively little size can last for billions and even trillions of years.

A white dwarf with a close-by companion star can become a cosmic powder keg. The white dwarf can pull product from it till the white dwarf grows so much that it ends up being unstable and explodes if the companions orbit brings it too close. This sort of outstanding blast is called a Type Ia supernova.
While it is normally accepted by astronomers that such encounters between white overshadows and “typical” companion stars are one likely source of Type Ia supernova surges, numerous information of the process are not well comprehended. One way to examine the surge mechanism is to look at the components left by the supernova in its debris or ejecta.
This image reveals G344.7-0.1, a supernova residue developed by a so-called Type Ia supernova, depicting X-rays from Chandra, infrared information from Spitzer, and radio information from the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. When a white dwarf pulls material from a companion star till the white dwarf grows so much that it ends up being unsteady and blows up, type Ia supernovas can happen. Studies of the aspects left by the explosion like this are some of the very best tools available to researchers to better understand the details of Type Ia supernovas. Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Tokyo Univ. of Science/K. Fukushima, et al.; IR: NASA/JPL/Spitzer; Radio: CSIRO/ATNF/ATCA
This brand-new composite image reveals G344.7-0.1, a supernova residue developed by a Type Ia supernova, through the eyes of different telescopes. X-rays from NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue) have been combined with infrared data from NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope (yellow and green) in addition to radio information from the NSFs Very Large Array and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisations Australia Telescope Compact Array (red).
Chandra is among the very best tools readily available for researchers to study supernova remnants and measure the composition and circulation of “heavy” elements– that is, anything aside from hydrogen and helium– they contain.
3 Color X-ray Composite. Credit: NASA/CXC/Tokyo Univ. of Science/K. Fukushima, et al
. Astronomers approximate that G344.7-0.1 has to do with 3,000 to 6,000 years of ages in Earths amount of time. On the other hand, the most widely-observed and popular Type Ia residues, consisting of Kepler, Tycho, and SN 1006, have all blew up within the last millennium approximately as seen from Earth. For that reason, this deep take a look at G344.7-0.1 with Chandra offers astronomers a window into a crucial phase later in the development of a Type Ia supernova remnant.
Both the expanding blast wave and the outstanding debris produce X-rays in supernova remnants. As the particles moves external from the initial explosion, it experiences resistance from surrounding gas and decreases, developing a reverse shock wave that takes a trip back toward the center of the explosion. This procedure is comparable to a traffic congestion on a highway, where as times passes an increasing number of automobiles will slow or stop down behind the mishap, causing the traffic congestion to travel backward. The reverse shock heats up the debris to countless degrees, causing it to radiance in X-rays.
3 Color X-ray Composite. Credit: NASA/CXC/Tokyo Univ. of Science/K. Fukushima, et al
. Type Ia residues like Kepler, Tycho, and SN 1006 are too young for the reverse shock to have time to plausibly take a trip backwards to heat all of the debris in the remnants. The relatively advanced age of G344.7-0.1 implies that the reverse shock has actually moved back through the entire debris field.
A different color variation of just the Chandra data (image above) reveals X-ray emission from iron (blue) and silicon (red) respectively, and X-rays produced by the acceleration of electrons as they are deflected by the nuclei of atoms that are positively charged (green). The area with the highest density of iron and the arc-like structures of silicon are identified.
The Chandra image of G344.7-0.1 reveals that the region with the highest density of iron (blue) is surrounded by arc-like structures (green) consisting of silicon. These results support the forecasts of designs for Type Ia supernova explosions, which show that much heavier aspects are produced in the interior of an exploding white dwarf.
This three-color Chandra image likewise reveals that the densest iron lies to the right of the supernova remnants geometric center. This asymmetry is likely brought on by gas surrounding the remnant being denser on the right than it is on the left.

The supernova remnant G344.7-0.1 is across the Milky Way about 19,600 light years from Earth.
It comes from a class of supernovas called “Type Ia” that can arise from a white dwarf collecting material from a companion star until it takes off.
A new composite image contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), infrared data from Spitzer (green and yellow) and radio information from two telescopes (red).
Chandras data reveal various components such as iron, silicon, sulfur and others found in the aftermath of the stellar explosion.