NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has found compelling evidence suggesting the presence of a neutron star at the core of a recently studied supernova.
The supernova in question, dubbed SN 1987A, represents a core-collapse event, wherein the remnants of a massive star's explosion condense into either a neutron star or a black hole.
Neutron Star at the Heart of a Supernova Remnant
While prior investigations hinted at the existence of such a compact object, this new discovery marks the first time the effects of high-energy emissions from the presumed young neutron star have been observed.
Supernovae, the spectacular explosions marking the end of massive stars' lives, unfold rapidly, with their brightness peaking within months, according to NASA.
These cosmic events offer astronomers a unique opportunity to witness and study the aftermath of stellar explosions in real time, providing invaluable insights into the universe's workings.
SN 1987A is situated 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud and made its debut in February 1987, reaching its maximum brightness in May of the same year.
Notably, it was the first supernova visible to the naked eye since Kepler's Supernova in 1604, capturing the attention of astronomers worldwide.
The initial observation of SN 1987A was preceded by a brief burst of neutrinos detected by three observatories, offering crucial corroborative evidence linking the neutrino burst and the subsequent supernova event.
These observations supported existing theories predicting the formation of a neutron star or a black hole following a core-collapse supernova. Subsequently, astronomers have been searching for direct evidence of these compact objects within the remnants of such stellar explosions.
'Compelling Signature'
Claes Fransson of Stockholm University, leading the research, elaborated on the significance of their findings, saying that while theoretical models had suggested the formation of a neutron star or black hole in SN 1987A's aftermath, direct evidence had remained elusive until now.
"From theoretical models of SN 1987A, the 10-second burst of neutrinos observed just before the supernova implied that a neutron star or black hole was formed in the explosion," Fransson said in a statement.
"But we have not observed any compelling signature of such a newborn object from any supernova explosion. With this observatory, we have now found direct evidence for emission triggered by the newborn compact object, most likely a neutron star," he added.
Utilizing Webb's Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS), the research team scrutinized the SN 1987A remnant, capturing detailed spectral data that revealed a strong signal attributed to ionized argon emanating from the remnant's core.
Further observations employing Webb's NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) Integral Field Unit (IFU) uncovered additional ions, including heavily ionized argon atoms, necessitating a source of high-energy radiation at the remnant's center.
Fransson noted that the detected ions could only originate from a high-energy radiation source, most likely a newly formed neutron star. The team's ongoing investigations, facilitated by both Webb and ground-based telescopes, aim to shed further light on the enigmatic nature of the SN 1987A remnant.
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