A team of scientists claims to have found direct observational evidence of the cosmic process where supernovae result in the birth of the densest objects in the universe, black holes, and neutron stars.
Astronomers were able to see the emergence of something with the hallmarks of such compact objects from a supernova that exploded in a nearby galaxy. While they are still not yet able to determine whether the object created is a black hole or a neutron star, the event was seen as a spectacular explosion of stellar material.
Astronomers Find Cosmic "Missing Link"
Stellar-mass black holes and neutron stars are known to be the result of similar processes in the universe. Near the end of its lifespan, a star runs out of fuel that is required to sustain fusion, which is the process that keeps the cosmic object burning.
After this, there is a somewhat complicated series of events, but ultimately, the star will eject its outer material, and the core, which would no longer be supported by the outward pressure of fusion, collapses under gravity to become a super-dense object, as per Science Alert.
The nature of what the object is depends on the original star's mass with those that are smaller than eight Suns producing a white dwarf, which is the expected end result of our own solar system's star.
On the other hand, if the origin star is between eight to 30 times the mass of our own Sun, the core would collapse into a neutron star that is around 2.3 solar masses. But the most massive stars, those that are more than 30 solar masses, become stellar-mass black holes.
The current understanding of this process, however, is largely based on observing the aftermath. One example is neutron stars in the Milky Way that shine from within the remnants of the supernova explosion from which they were born. These include the famous Crab Pulsar.
Birth of Black Holes and Neutron Stars
In a statement, a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, Ping Chen said that their research was similar to solving a puzzle by gathering all possible evidence. A South African amateur astronomer, Berto Monard, was the first to discover a new bright object, according to Cosmos.
He found the object, called SN 2022jli, in the spiral arm of a galaxy that is known as NGC 157, which is located roughly 76 million light-years away. Analysis of the newly found object suggested that it was a supernova, which prompted astronomers to turn their telescopes toward it.
Scientists also used other surveys to confirm the location of the supernova and other information about it. These events are difficult to study because they are impossible to predict and are quick to disappear into the cosmos. The latest team's research was published in the scientific journal Nature.
Chen noted that researchers have, for a long time, believed that a compact remnant is what is produced at the center of a massive star explosion. However, they have repeatedly failed to directly link such processes with newly formed compact objects, said the Times of Israel.
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