Photo: Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices (2023). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad1681
Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope have gone a long way in confirming supernovae as a source of dust in early galaxies.
Observations of two Type II supernovae, Supernova 2004et (SN 2004et) and Supernova 2017eaw (SN 2017eaw), have revealed large amounts of dust within the ejecta of each of these objects. The mass found by the researchers supports the theory that supernovae played a key role in supplying the early universe with dust.
Dust is a building block for many things in our universe, in particular, the planets. As dust from dying stars spreads through space, it carries essential elements to help give birth to the next generation of stars and their planets. The origin of that dust has puzzled astronomers for decades. A major source of cosmic dust could be supernovae: after the dying star explodes, the leftover gas expands and cools to create dust.
“Until now, direct evidence for this phenomenon has been scant, and our capabilities only allow us to study the dust population in one relatively nearby supernova to date: supernova 1987A, 170,000 light-years from Earth,” said the author. principal, Melissa Shahbandeh. from Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. “When the gas cools enough to form dust, that dust is only detectable at mid-infrared wavelengths, provided you have sufficient sensitivity.”
For supernovae more distant than SN 1987A like SN 2004et and SN 2017eaw, both in NGC 6946 about 22 million light-years away, that combination of wavelength coverage and exquisite sensitivity can only be obtained with MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) by Webb.
Webb’s observations are the first advance in the study of supernova dust production since the detection of newly formed dust in SN 1987A with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope nearly a decade ago.
Another particularly intriguing result of their study is not just the detection of dust, but the amount of dust detected at this early stage in the supernova’s life. In SN 2004et, the researchers found more than 5,000 Earth masses of dust. “When you look at the calculation of the amount of dust we’re seeing in SN 2004et especially, it rivals the measurements in SN 1987A, and it’s only a fraction of the age,” program leader Ori Fox of the Institute of Sciences added in a statement. of the Space Telescope. “It is the highest dust mass detected in supernovae since SN 1987A.”
Observations have shown astronomers that young, distant galaxies are littered with dust, but these galaxies are not old enough for intermediate-mass stars, such as the Sun, to have supplied the dust as they age. The most massive and short-lived stars could have died early enough and in large enough numbers to create so much dust.
While astronomers have confirmed that supernovae produce dust, the question remains about how much of that dust can survive the internal shocks that reverberate after the explosion. Seeing this much dust at this stage in the life of SN 2004et and SN 2017eaw suggests that the dust can survive the shock wave, evidence that supernovae are really important dust factories after all.
The researchers also note that current estimates of the mass may be the tip of the iceberg. While Webb has allowed researchers to measure colder dust than ever before, there may be undetected colder dust that radiates further into the electromagnetic spectrum and remains hidden by the outermost layers of dust. The researchers stressed that the new findings are also just a hint at newly discovered research capabilities into supernovae and their dust production using Webb, and what that can tell us about the stars they come from. “There is growing enthusiasm to understand what this dust also implies about the core of the exploded star,” Fox said. “After looking at these particular findings, I think our fellow researchers will think of innovative ways to work with these dusty supernovae in the future”.
Picha: Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices (2023). "Kutokana na uchunguzi wa ""James Webb Space Telescope"" na ""NASA,"" imegunduliwa kwamba nyota za nyota za juu (supernovae) zilikuwa chanzo cha vumbi katika galaksi za mapema." Uchunguzi wa nyota mbili za aina ya II, Supernova 2004a na Supernova 2017a, umefunua kiasi kikubwa cha vumbi ndani ya vipande vya kila moja ya nyota hizo. Kiasi hicho kinaunga mkono nadharia ya kwamba nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota za nyota. Vumbi ni kiungo cha ujenzi wa vitu vingi katika ulimwengu wetu, hasa sayari. Vumbi kutoka kwa nyota zinazokufa huenea katika anga, na huchukua vitu muhimu vinavyosaidia kuzaa kizazi kijacho cha nyota na sayari zao. Kwa miongo mingi, wataalamu wa nyota wamekuwa wakitafakari juu ya chanzo cha vumbi hilo. Chanzo kikuu cha vumbi la angani kinaweza kuwa supernovae: baada ya nyota inayokufa kulipuka, gesi iliyobaki huenea na baridi na kutokeza vumbi. "Hata sasa, ushahidi wa moja kwa moja wa jambo hili umekuwa mdogo, na uwezo wetu unatuwezesha tu kusoma idadi ya vumbi katika supernova moja ya karibu hadi sasa: supernova 1987A, miaka 170,000 ya mwanga kutoka Dunia. """ Mkurugenzi wa shule, Melissa Shahbandeh. Chuo Kikuu cha Johns Hopkins na Taasisi ya Sayansi ya Teleskopi ya Anga huko Baltimore, Maryland. "Kama gesi ya joto ya kutosha kuunda vumbi, kwamba vumbi ni detectable tu katika katikati ya infrared urefu wa wimbi, mradi una nyeti ya kutosha. kwa supernovae zaidi ya mbali kuliko 1987SN, kama vile 2004SN na 2017SN, wote katika NGC 6846, karibu milioni 22 mwanga-mwaka mbali, kwamba mchanganyiko wa urefu wa wimbi chanjo na nyeti exquisite inaweza tu kupatikana na ""Miri"" (Mid-Infrared Instrument)." Uchunguzi wa Webb ni maendeleo ya kwanza katika utafiti wa uzalishaji wa vumbi la supernova tangu kugunduliwa kwa vumbi lililotengenezwa hivi karibuni katika SN 1987A na darubini ya Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) karibu muongo mmoja uliopita. "Hata hivyo, matokeo ya utafiti huo hayakuwa ya kuvutia sana, kwa sababu ya kiasi cha vumbi kilichogunduliwa katika hatua hii ya mapema ya maisha ya supernova.""" Mnamo mwaka 2004 na 2004, watafiti walipata zaidi ya masafa ya ardhi 5,000 ya vumbi. "Kama unaangalia hesabu ya kiasi cha vumbi tunachoona katika SN 2004 na hasa, inashindana na vipimo katika SN 1987A, na ni sehemu ndogo tu ya umri, ""msimamizi wa programu Ori Fox wa Taasisi ya Sayansi aliongeza katika taarifa." Teleskopi ya Angani "Hiyo ni kiasi kikubwa zaidi cha vumbi kilichogunduliwa katika supernovae tangu 1987,"" alisema, akisema: ""Uchunguzi umeonyesha kwamba nyota ndogo zilizo mbali na nyota hizo zina vumbi, lakini hazina umri wa kutosha kwa nyota zenye uzito wa kati kama vile Jua, kuwa zimetokeza vumbi hilo." Nyota zenye uzito mkubwa na zenye maisha mafupi zaidi zingeweza kufa mapema vya kutosha na kwa idadi kubwa ya kutosha kutokeza vumbi vingi hivyo. Ingawa wataalamu wa nyota wamethibitisha kwamba supernovae hutokeza vumbi, bado kuna swali kuhusu kiasi gani cha vumbi hilo kinaweza kuokoka mshtuko wa ndani unaosikika baada ya mlipuko. Kuonekana kwa vumbi katika kipindi hiki cha maisha ya SN 2004a na SN 2017a inaonyesha kwamba vumbi linaweza kuokoka mawimbi ya mshtuko, ushahidi kwamba supernovae ni viwanda muhimu vya vumbi. Watafiti hao pia wanasema kwamba makadirio ya sasa ya uzito wa sayari hiyo huenda yakawa sehemu ndogo tu ya sayari hiyo. Wakati Webb imeruhusu watafiti kupima vumbi baridi kuliko hapo awali, kunaweza kuwa na vumbi baridi zaidi ambayo haijagunduliwa ambayo huangaza zaidi katika wigo wa umeme na inabaki kufichwa na tabaka za nje zaidi za vumbi. Watafiti hao walisisitiza kuwa matokeo hayo mapya ni dalili tu ya uwezo mpya wa utafiti wa supernovae na uzalishaji wao wa vumbi kwa kutumia Webb, na kile ambacho kinaweza kutuambia kuhusu nyota wanazotoka. "Kuna shauku inayoongezeka ya kuelewa kile vumbi hili pia linamaanisha kuhusu kiini cha nyota iliyoporomoka", Fox alisema. "Baada ya kuangalia matokeo haya maalum, nadhani watafiti wenzetu watafikiria njia za ubunifu za kufanya kazi na supernovae hizi zenye vumbi katika siku zijazo".