Astronomers Astonished by 'Monstrous' Star Explosion

keg in kc · 05-08-2007, 03:18 AM

Astronomers Astonished by 'Monstrous' Star Explosion

By Ker Than
SPACE.com Staff Writer
posted: 07 May 2007
02:04 pm ET

(May 8) - Scientists have detected a stellar explosion that is the brightest and most energetic ever recorded, and which could be the first evidence of a new type of supernova fueled by an antimatter engine.

The "SN 2006gy" explosion occurred in a galaxy 240 million light-years away, called NGC 1260, and was 100 times more energetic than typical supernovas. It was detected in September 2006 using ground-based telescopes and NASA 's Chandra X-ray space observatory. It brightened slowly for 70 days, and at its peak emitted more than 50 billion Suns worth of light-shining 10 times brighter than its host galaxy-before dimming slowly. Most supernovas reach peak brightness in days to a few weeks.

"Of all exploding stars ever observed, this was the king," said Alex Filippenko of the University of California, Berkeley, who led ground-based observations of the supernova at Lick Observatory in California and Keck Observatory in Hawaii. "We were astonished to see how bright it got and how long it lasted."

NASA has released an image and animation of what the explosion might have looked like.

The finding, presented today at a NASA press conference and detailed in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal, provides evidence for a fundamentally different type of supernova explosion that only occurs with the universe's most massive stars.

The monster supernova suggests the first stars that illuminated the universe died in explosive lightshows. "We may have witnessed a modern-day version of how the first generation of the most massive stars ended their lives," Filippenko said.

Astrophysicists also think the supernova could be a preview of what they will see when a massive star in our own galaxy explodes.

Going out with a bang

Supernovas are stellar swan songs. They occur when ancient, massive stars do as poet Dylan Thomas advised, that is, to "burn and rage at the close of day," and "rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Most supernovas are the result of stars with 8 to 20 times the mass of our Sun collapsing under their own gravity. Astronomers think something different happened with SN 2006gy, whose star was much bigger--about 150 solar masses.

Stars this massive are extremely rare: Scientists estimate there are only a dozen or so such stars in the Milky Way's stellar population of 400 billion.

Supermassive stars are thought to produce so much gamma-ray light at the end of their lives that some of the radiation is converted into matter and antimatter, mostly electrons and positrons. Antimatter particles have the same mass as ordinary matter but opposite atomic properties such as spin and charge. Gamma radiation is the energy that prevents the outer layers of a star from collapsing; once it starts disappearing, the star's outer layer falls inward, triggering a thermonuclear explosion that destroys the star.

The new findings suggest some of the first stars in the early universe, which were also very massive, went out in spectacular explosions like SN 2006gy, instead of bypassing the supernova stage and collapsing directly into black holes.

"In terms of the effect on the early universe, there's a huge difference between these two possibilities," said study leader Nathan Smith, also of UC Berkeley. "One pollutes the galaxy with large quantities of newly made elements, and the other locks them up forever in a black hole."

Eta Carinae

Scientists think SN 2006gy could be a sign of things to come in our own galaxy. Eta Carinae, the most luminous star in our Milky Way, is located some 7,000 light-years away and seems poised to undergo its own explosion at any moment.

"This could happen tomorrow or it could happen 1,000 years from now," said Mario Livio of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, who was not involved in the research.

Eta Carinae is an unstable star currently radiating about 5 million times more energy than our Sun and is undergoing eruptions on its surface that are similar to what scientists think happened on the star that produced SN 2006gy just before it blew.

Despite its relatively close proximity to us, Eta Carinae's death is not likely to pose any significant threat to life on Earth, scientists say.

"I think we can sleep quietly tonight for Eta Car not extinguishing life on Earth," Livio said, "but [SN 2006gy] and all the questions it brings about will keep us awake for quite a while."

'Hamas' Jenkins · 05-08-2007, 03:20 AM

Hopefully we won't be killed by a gamma ray burst from said explosion

chagrin · 05-08-2007, 05:29 AM

Serious question, what is an antimatter engine?

Delano · 05-08-2007, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chagrin

Serious question, what is an antimatter engine?

I am not positive but I think scientists collide atoms at an extreme rate of speed and it creates anti matter for a very short period of time that scientists can study. The engine looks like a huge underground racetrack that they send the atoms around on and collide in this chamber that has some very sensitive machinery to observe the results.

jidar · 05-08-2007, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delano

I am not positive but I think scientists collide atoms at an extreme rate of speed and it creates anti matter for a very short period of time that scientists can study. The engine looks like a huge underground racetrack that they send the atoms around on and collide in this chamber that has some very sensitive machinery to observe the results.

A good guess but no. What you're describing is a super collider, which is used to create anti matter.
An anti-matter engine would be an engine that is running on the energy produced by anti-matter fuel interacting with regular matter. There is no such thing as a man made anti-matter engine, but it's one way to describe the stuff going on in one of these massive supernovas.

Delano · 05-08-2007, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jidar

A good guess but no. What you're describing is a super collider, which is used to create anti matter.
An anti-matter engine would be an engine that is running on the energy produced by anti-matter fuel interacting with regular matter. There is no such thing as a man made anti-matter engine, but it's one way to describe the stuff going on in one of these massive supernovas.

Well, I was in the ballpark at least.

Hammock Parties · 05-08-2007, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jidar

There is no such thing as a man made anti-matter engine, but it's one way to describe the stuff going on in one of these massive supernovas.

Bullshit! The aliens just fired up their rocket ship and are on the way.

4th and Long · 05-08-2007, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jidar

A good guess but no. What you're describing is a super collider, which is used to create anti matter.
An anti-matter engine would be an engine that is running on the energy produced by anti-matter fuel interacting with regular matter. There is no such thing as a man made anti-matter engine, but it's one way to describe the stuff going on in one of these massive supernovas.

Are ya daft?

Warp Propulsion System

A starship's Warp Propulsion System (WPS) consists of three major assemblies.

First, the matter/anti-matter reaction assembly (M/ARA) generates power from a controlled annililation of matter and antimatter.

Second, the power transfer conduits carry the energy plasma from the reaction chamber to the warp engine nacelles; at this point, power to run the bulk of the ship's non-propulsive systems is accessed by electro plasma system (EPS) taps.

Finally the plasma is directed to the warp engine nacelles, where it is used to create the subspace mechanics necessary for faster-than-light travel.

While a starship carries "traditional" fusion reactor fuel as well, the bulk of a ships systems depends upon the WPS for their operation.

tiptap · 05-08-2007, 05:35 AM

We create antimatter in our huge colliders. These huge suns produce antimatter. When antimatter and matter meet all the mass is converted to energy.

The star Eta Carinae does not look to be pointing toward earth with what would be the stream of gamma energy. But we would be able to see it during the day if it put out the total energy of this far supernova.

GossipQueen · 05-08-2007, 05:52 AM

That ho is hurtin' fo a squirtin'

**Bugeater** · 05-08-2007, 06:18 AM

Is this going to have any effect on the price of beer?

Hammock Parties · 05-08-2007, 07:26 AM

Wait, that's it! It's the Vulcans! They're on their way!

Adept Havelock · 05-08-2007, 04:40 PM

Uh-Oh. Looks like the aliens are playing with Dr. Device again.

**RealSNR** · 05-08-2007, 05:48 PM

I've got some anti-matter. It's right here in a jar on my desk.

Heh. Sorry. Nerd humor.

ChiefaRoo · 05-08-2007, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

I've got some anti-matter. It's right here in a jar on my desk.

Heh. Sorry. Nerd humor.

Yeah, right only if you've got a powerful magnetic field containing it. I mean the magnets would crush your desk. (guffah)

more nerd humor

05-08-2007, 03:18 AM	Topic Starter
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	Astronomers Astonished by 'Monstrous' Star Explosion Astronomers Astonished by 'Monstrous' Star Explosion By Ker Than SPACE.com Staff Writer posted: 07 May 2007 02:04 pm ET (May 8) - Scientists have detected a stellar explosion that is the brightest and most energetic ever recorded, and which could be the first evidence of a new type of supernova fueled by an antimatter engine. The "SN 2006gy" explosion occurred in a galaxy 240 million light-years away, called NGC 1260, and was 100 times more energetic than typical supernovas. It was detected in September 2006 using ground-based telescopes and NASA 's Chandra X-ray space observatory. It brightened slowly for 70 days, and at its peak emitted more than 50 billion Suns worth of light-shining 10 times brighter than its host galaxy-before dimming slowly. Most supernovas reach peak brightness in days to a few weeks. "Of all exploding stars ever observed, this was the king," said Alex Filippenko of the University of California, Berkeley, who led ground-based observations of the supernova at Lick Observatory in California and Keck Observatory in Hawaii. "We were astonished to see how bright it got and how long it lasted." NASA has released an image and animation of what the explosion might have looked like. The finding, presented today at a NASA press conference and detailed in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal, provides evidence for a fundamentally different type of supernova explosion that only occurs with the universe's most massive stars. The monster supernova suggests the first stars that illuminated the universe died in explosive lightshows. "We may have witnessed a modern-day version of how the first generation of the most massive stars ended their lives," Filippenko said. Astrophysicists also think the supernova could be a preview of what they will see when a massive star in our own galaxy explodes. Going out with a bang Supernovas are stellar swan songs. They occur when ancient, massive stars do as poet Dylan Thomas advised, that is, to "burn and rage at the close of day," and "rage, rage against the dying of the light." Most supernovas are the result of stars with 8 to 20 times the mass of our Sun collapsing under their own gravity. Astronomers think something different happened with SN 2006gy, whose star was much bigger--about 150 solar masses. Stars this massive are extremely rare: Scientists estimate there are only a dozen or so such stars in the Milky Way's stellar population of 400 billion. Supermassive stars are thought to produce so much gamma-ray light at the end of their lives that some of the radiation is converted into matter and antimatter, mostly electrons and positrons. Antimatter particles have the same mass as ordinary matter but opposite atomic properties such as spin and charge. Gamma radiation is the energy that prevents the outer layers of a star from collapsing; once it starts disappearing, the star's outer layer falls inward, triggering a thermonuclear explosion that destroys the star. The new findings suggest some of the first stars in the early universe, which were also very massive, went out in spectacular explosions like SN 2006gy, instead of bypassing the supernova stage and collapsing directly into black holes. "In terms of the effect on the early universe, there's a huge difference between these two possibilities," said study leader Nathan Smith, also of UC Berkeley. "One pollutes the galaxy with large quantities of newly made elements, and the other locks them up forever in a black hole." Eta Carinae Scientists think SN 2006gy could be a sign of things to come in our own galaxy. Eta Carinae, the most luminous star in our Milky Way, is located some 7,000 light-years away and seems poised to undergo its own explosion at any moment. "This could happen tomorrow or it could happen 1,000 years from now," said Mario Livio of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, who was not involved in the research. Eta Carinae is an unstable star currently radiating about 5 million times more energy than our Sun and is undergoing eruptions on its surface that are similar to what scientists think happened on the star that produced SN 2006gy just before it blew. Despite its relatively close proximity to us, Eta Carinae's death is not likely to pose any significant threat to life on Earth, scientists say. "I think we can sleep quietly tonight for Eta Car not extinguishing life on Earth," Livio said, "but [SN 2006gy] and all the questions it brings about will keep us awake for quite a while."
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05-08-2007, 03:20 AM	#2
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05-08-2007, 05:29 AM	#3
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05-08-2007, 05:35 AM	#9
tiptap Is this it? Join Date: Jan 2004 Casino cash: $10007847	We create antimatter in our huge colliders. These huge suns produce antimatter. When antimatter and matter meet all the mass is converted to energy. The star Eta Carinae does not look to be pointing toward earth with what would be the stream of gamma energy. But we would be able to see it during the day if it put out the total energy of this far supernova. __________________ Even a superstitious man has certain inalienable rights. He has a right to harbor and indulge his imbecilities as long as he pleases. . . He has a right to argue for them as eloquently as he can, in season and out of season. He has a right to teach them to his children. But certainly he has no right to be protected against the free criticism of those who do not hold them. He has no right to demand that they be treated as sacred. He has no right to preach them without challenge." -H.L. Mencken Last edited by tiptap; 05-08-2007 at 06:13 AM..
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05-08-2007, 04:40 PM	#13
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05-08-2007, 05:48 PM	#14
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