Remains of Supernova’s 1987A Supernova neutron star finally discovered, say scientists – Technology News, Firstpost

FP TrendingFeb 24, 2021 18:31:37 IST

A group of astronauts, using data from earlier space missions and ground-based telescopes, say they finally found a squashed stellar heart from a star explosion seen on February 24, 1987. According to a recitation from the space agency, the supernova called Supernova 1987A is located in the Magellanic Cloud, a small companion galaxy to our own Milky Way, about 1,70,000 light-years from Earth. The report said that while astronomers watched debris erupt from the site of the smelting, they were also looking for what should be left of the heart of the star – a neutron star.

Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and previously unpublished data from NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope (NuSTAR), in conjunction with data from the ground-based Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), research has been able to present evidence about the neutron. star at mid SN 1987A. Speaking about it, lead author Emanuele Greco said astronauts for 34 years have been sifting through the stellar debris in hopes of finding the neutron star.

According to study authors, when a star explodes, it collapses before the outer layers explode. However, the tension turns the heart into something very dense called neutron stars. Fast-changing neutron stars called pulses emit radiation behavior that astronomers detect as pulses. If the heart is indeed a pulsar at the center of SN 1987A, this is the youngest one yet discovered.

In Chandra and NuSTAR data, researchers identified low-energy X-rays from 1987A SN debris falling into surrounding materials. They also found evidence of high-energy grains, using NuSTAR’s ability to detect more dynamic X-rays. The authors of the study, considering various theories about what the source of the energetic X-rays might be, argue that it is a pulsar (which has a wind) and cut grains from it. the acceleration to a distance close to light, forming a nebula around. the pulsar. This phenomenon, also known as pulsar wind nebula, can theoretically be found inside the shell of a supernova remnant, the statement said.

The debris surrounding the pulsar is capable of absorbing the lowest energy X-ray emissions, making it difficult to detect at present. According to the study, this material will disperse over the next few years, thus reducing its absorbing power. Emissions from the pulsar, researchers, are expected to appear in about a decade. This would indicate that the reclusive neutron star is at the heart of SN 1987A.