In a distant supernova, scientists unexpectedly found a companion star
With the help of a telescope "Hubble" NASA scientists were able to detect the companion in a distant supernova SN 1993J. This supernew of type IIb, during which the explosion space in emitted much less hydrogen than in the case of the more common types of explosions. And since a considerable number of stars in the universe are composed of double and even triple systems, the scientists immediately suspected that in this area there are other stars. To do this, data of the optical and ultraviolet collected telescope "Hubble", were combined into one picture, which manifested itself and glow of the second star. Second star has strong gravity and stole a huge amount of hydrogen from the body of its exploding companion, then continued to exist as a very hot helium star.
From the ground to the supernova SN 1993J, in the constellation Ursa Major, about 11 million light-years. Thus, the subject is far beyond the Milky Way, the galaxy M81, also known as Bode's Galaxy. Due to the not so distant, in intergalactic standards, of course, distances, as well as its spectacular appearance with an almost perfect spiral arms, the space object is very popular among fans of astronomers around the world. This finding confirms the long-held belief that the supernova SN 1993J comes from inside the binary system. Dual system includes two stars, interacting with each other, resulting in a cosmic explosion.
"It's like a crime scene, and we finally identified the perpetrator," said Alex Filippenko, professor of astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley. "The companion star" stole "a large amount of hydrogen surrounding the starburst-neighbor." Combining data from optical radiation and ultraviolet light from Hubble, the team was the spectrum that is consistent with the predicted luminescence of the companion star. Only recently, scientists were able to detect this radiation, known as emission continuum. These new findings will help astronomers understand the mechanisms of different types of supernova.
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