All articles tagged with #massive stars
Astronomers have discovered one of the most massive binary star systems in our galaxy, NGC 3603-A1, with two stars weighing 93 and 70 times the Sun's mass, orbiting each other every 3.8 days. This discovery, aided by archival Hubble data and new observations, provides valuable insights into stellar evolution and the origins of binary black holes, highlighting the dynamic and extreme conditions in star-forming regions like NGC 3603.
Astronomers have discovered one of the most massive binary star systems in our galaxy, NGC 3603-A1, with stars weighing 93 and 70 times the Sun's mass, orbiting each other every 3.8 days, providing valuable insights into stellar evolution and the origins of binary black holes.
Astronomers have discovered a new type of supernova, SN2021yfj, which provides unprecedented insights into the internal structure of massive stars, revealing that stars can lose most of their material before exploding and still produce a bright supernova, challenging existing theories of stellar evolution.
Astronomers have discovered a new type of supernova, SN2021yfj, providing unprecedented insights into the internal structure of massive stars before explosion, revealing a star stripped down to its core with heavy elements like silicon and sulfur expelled just before the explosion, challenging existing theories of stellar evolution.
The article explains how the largest stars in the universe, like VY Canis Majoris and R136a1, grow so large through processes related to their age, mass, and fusion reactions, with the biggest stars reaching extreme sizes and luminosities before ending their lives in supernovae, while their size is influenced by the balance of radiation pressure and gravity.
New research suggests that very massive stars eject much more matter through powerful stellar winds than previously thought, influencing their evolution and the formation of black holes, and challenging existing models of star and black hole development.
For the first time, astronomers have detected magnetic fields in massive stars outside the Milky Way, specifically in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. This discovery offers a unique opportunity to study star formation and evolution in environments similar to the early universe, as these stars are metal-poor like the first stars. Using the FORS2 instrument on the Very Large Telescope, researchers successfully measured magnetic fields in several massive stars, suggesting that low metallicity has little impact on magnetic field strength in these stars. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
For the first time, magnetic fields have been detected in three massive, hot stars in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, providing a unique opportunity to study star formation and evolution in galaxies with young stellar populations. This discovery, achieved using the FORS2 spectropolarimeter on the Very Large Telescope, offers crucial insights into the role of magnetic fields in the early universe and the formation of neutron stars and black holes.
A bizarre binary star system, HD 148937, located 3,800 light-years away, contains two massive stars, one of which is the brightest and hottest known to have a magnetic field. Despite the conventional understanding that massive stars should not have magnetic fields, about 7% of them do. Recent observations suggest that the magnetic field in HD 148937's star was acquired through a violent merger with another star, leading to the creation of a bipolar nebula and shedding light on the origin of magnetic fields in massive stars.
Astronomers have unraveled the mystery of the "Dragon's Egg" nebula, discovering that the magnetic field in one of the stars within it was likely created through a violent merger with a smaller sibling star. This finding explains the presence of magnetic fields in relatively few massive stars and sheds light on the complex physics and chemistry at play in the nebula. The stunning cloud of gas and dust, located in the Milky Way galaxy, is a result of a recent cosmic event and provides valuable insights into the formation and evolution of massive stars.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured stunning images showcasing the birth and death of massive stars. Astronomer Nienke van der Marel explains the significance of these images, including the observation of star-forming regions, young stars, and the evolution of massive stars like Wolf-Rayet 124. These images provide valuable insights into the formation of planets and the enrichment of heavier elements and dust particles, shedding light on the short but explosive lives of massive stars and the remnants left behind after supernovae.
Scientists studying the Orion Nebula with the James Webb Space Telescope have found that massive stars play a crucial role in shaping planetary systems by exposing nascent planets to intense ultraviolet radiation, which can either aid or hinder their formation depending on the star's mass. This discovery sheds new light on the formation of planetary systems and will be featured in the journal Science.
Astronomers at the University of Toronto have discovered a population of massive stars in binary systems that have been stripped of their hydrogen envelopes by their companions. This finding sheds light on the origins of hydrogen-poor core-collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers. The researchers used ultraviolet data from the Swift-UVOT telescope to identify these stripped stars, which are believed to be rare and have important implications for our understanding of supernovae, gravitational waves, and the properties of distant galaxies. The discovery also provides opportunities for more detailed physics studies and measurements of stellar winds.
Astronomers have discovered dozens of massive stars that are fleeing the Milky Way. These runaway stars, which have significant peculiar velocities, were identified through a combination of data from the Gaia spacecraft and two stellar catalogues. The study found that a higher percentage of O-type stars, which are young and hot, are runaway stars compared to Be-type stars. The findings suggest that the dynamical ejection scenario, involving gravitational interactions in densely packed regions, is more likely than the binary supernova scenario in explaining the phenomenon of runaway stars.
Astronomers have discovered dozens of massive runaway stars fleeing the Milky Way, shedding light on the phenomenon of stellar ejection. Using data from the Gaia spacecraft and two stellar catalogues, researchers identified 106 runaway O-type stars and 69 runaway Be-type stars. The study suggests that the dynamical ejection scenario, involving gravitational interactions in densely packed star clusters, is more likely than the binary supernova scenario as the cause of these runaway stars. The findings highlight the dominance of massive stars in the runaway star population and contribute to our understanding of stellar dynamics in the Milky Way.