5/18/2023 0 Comments Supernova in 0 ad![]() ![]() That includes how matter – including the elements – is created and the role of supernovae in that process. Through its Nuclear Physics program, the Department of Energy Office of Science supports research into the fundamental nature of matter. DOE Office of Science: Contributions to Supernova Research If the stars in one of these binary systems collide, or if one of the white dwarfs absorbs enough matter from the other star, the white dwarf can become a supernova. White dwarfs are the remains of a star roughly the size of our Sun when it runs out of fuel. Otherwise, the core becomes an ultra-dense neutron star.Īnother type of supernova, called a thermal runaway supernova, can occur when two stars orbit each other, and one or both of those stars is a white dwarf. When stars are especially large, the core collapses into a black hole. Supernovae are thus essential to life.Īfter a core collapse supernova, all that remains is a dense core and hot gas called a nebula. Even the iron in your blood can be traced back to supernovae or similar cosmic explosions from long before our Sun had formed. ![]() Supernovae are considered one of the original sources of the elements heavier than iron in the Universe. These fusion reactions create new atomic nuclei in a process called nucleosynthesis. As a massive star collapses, it produces a shockwave that can induce fusion reactions in the star’s outer shell. Supernovae are so powerful they create new atomic nuclei. This collapse produces the explosion we call a supernova. When the pressure drops low enough in a massive star, gravity suddenly takes over and the star collapses in just seconds. But as a star burns through its fuel and begins to cool, the outward forces of pressure drop. For most of the life of a star, inward gravity and outward pressure are in balance and the star is stable. This heat produces pressure that pushes outward against the forces of gravity that pull inward on the star. As these stars burn the fuel in their cores, they produce heat. One type, called a “core-collapse” supernova, occurs in the last stage in the life of massive stars that are at least eight times larger than our Sun. Scientists have identified several types of supernova. A supernova is the colossal explosion of a star. ![]()
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