2023-09-28 06:00:15
A notable advance in the understanding of exotic supernovae, these extraordinary stellar explosions, has just reached a decisive milestone. An international team led by Ke-Jung Chen of the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in Taiwan, carried out the first high-resolution, 3D simulation of these phenomena, offering answers to long-asked questions.
A supernova is a spectacular explosion which marks the end of the life of a star. autonomous, similar to a…) massive (The word massive can be used like:). These cosmic events are of major interest for astrophysics (Astrophysics (from the Greek astro = star and physiqui = physics) is a branch…), both for their role in the origin of life (This article is devoted to the origins of life from a scientific point of view. Aspects…) as well as for their importance in the life cycle of stars. For years, simulations were content with one-dimensional models (In common sense, the notion of dimension refers to size; the dimensions of a room…), incapable of accounting for turbulence (La turbulence designates the state of a fluid, liquid or gas, in which the speed…) generated during these explosions.
Three-dimensional simulation of the exotic supernova reveals the turbulent structures generated during the expulsion of material in the explosion. These turbulent structures then influence the luminosity and the structure of the explosion of the entire supernova.
Credit: Ke-Jung Chen/ASIAA
Ke-Jung Chen and his team used supercomputers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan to carry out their calculations. 3D simulation allows us to better understand the physics of exotic supernovae, particularly superluminous supernovae, which are 100 times brighter than ordinary supernovae. Some of these phenomena, called “eternally luminous”, can maintain their brightness for several years or even longer.
Why are these exotic supernovae so special? According to astronomers, they could come from atypical massive stars, whose masses vary between 80 and 140 times that of the Sun. At the end of their life cycle, these giant stars undergo carbon fusion reactions, creating conditions conducive to exceptional explosions.
The high-resolution simulation also shows that turbulence plays a crucial role in the luminosity and structure of the explosion of these supernovae. This turbulence, born from irregular movements of fluids, leads to complex dynamics, influencing the release and transfer of energy. Which, in turn, affects the brightness and appearance of the supernova.
The final physical distribution of the exotic supernova, with four distinctly colored quadrants representing different physical quantities.
Credit: Ke-Jung Chen/ASIAA
This ambitious work required more than 5 million hours of calculation on supercomputers. It opens the way to a better understanding of the final stages of the evolution of massive stars and the explosion mechanisms that accompany them.
1695983993
#gigantic #simulation #sheds #light #exotic #supernovae