Hypernova: astronomers have discovered a new type of stellar explosion
Scientists have discovered a new type of astronomical cataclysm. The phenomenon is called “magnetic-rotational hypernova”, it occurs when a collapsing, rapidly rotating star collapses, Nature reports.
The discovery may help uncover the mystery of the origin of heavy elements in the universe. It was believed that they were formed as a result of the merger of neutron stars. But, as studies have shown, the first heavy elements appeared shortly after the Big Bang, when neutron stars had not yet had time to complete their life cycle. Therefore, they must have a different source.
Astronomers recently discovered the ancient star SMSS J2003-1142 in the Milky Way's halo. It revealed heavy elements that arose not during the merger of neutron stars, but as a result of the collapse and explosion of a rapidly rotating star with a strong magnetic field and a mass about 25 times the mass of the Sun.
Scientists were able to analyze the composition of the star. The iron content in it turned out to be about 3000 times lower than in the Sun, which is typical for early stars. But the study pointed to unusually high levels of nitrogen, zinc and heavy elements including europium and uranium.
The abundance of nitrogen indicates the rapid rotation of the parent star, and zinc indicates that the explosion energy was about 10 times the supernova explosion. Scientists have labeled the phenomenon as “hypernova”.
The authors of the scientific work concluded that such explosions could supply heavy elements such as gold and uranium to the early Universe. Earlier it was reported that astronomers have discovered a record small dead star. It is no larger than the Moon in size.
