New Delhi: Indian researchers have observed a very bright, hydrogen-deficient supernova, shining with energy derived from an attractive neutron star with a very strong magnetic field. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) said that deep study of such ancient cosmic bodies can reveal the earliest mysteries of the universe.
A supernova is a powerful and bright stellar explosion that releases a large amount of energy. These types of supernovae, called superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), are extremely rare. DST said this is because they are usually derived from very massive stars (which have a minimum mass limit of 25 times that of the Sun) and the number distribution of such massive stars in our galaxy is very small. Of these, SLSNE-1 has been counted in about 150 spectroscopically confirmed events so far.
It is said that these ancient objects are the least understood supernovae because their underlying sources are unclear and also because of their extreme luminosity. The department said that the supernova 2020 mark was first discovered by the Jwicki Transient Facility on January 19, 2020, which was being studied by the scientists of Aryabhata Observational Science Research Institute (ARIZ), a research institute under DST, since February 2020 and then in March 2020. And also in April during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus. It said that the apparent appearance of the supernova was similar to that of other objects in the region.
However, once the luminosity was estimated, it turned out to be an extremely blue object indicating its optical characteristic. The department said the team observed this with special arrangements at the recently brought into service in India, the Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT-3.6M) as well as two other Indian telescopes – the Sampoornanand Telescope-1.04M and the Himalayan Chandra Telescope 2.0M.
DST reported that scientists found that the outer layers of the supernova, which has an onion-like structure, had come off and its inner part was glowing from a borrowed energy source. The study is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
