Supernova record holder appeared 50 times brighter than our galaxy – Interfax

Moscow. January 15. INTERFAX.RU – An international team of astronomers discover and explore a bright supernova record – ASASSN-15lh, the resource an N + 1, with reference to the journal Science. Its flash is at least two times brighter than any ever observed supernovae, and the amount of light energy emitted by the object in the first four months after the explosion, equivalent to 90 billion years of continuous glow of the sun. For the first time about his observations group reported in the summer.

Detect unusual outbreaks managed using automated sky survey ASAS-SN, which specializes in finding supernovae. Instruments recorded outbreak of June 14, 2015, after which the astronomers to confirm the nature of the object, and began to observe the object. That object is the brightest of the observed supernovae, it became clear after the evaluation of the distance to the object, made on the basis of spectroscopic data – it turned out to be 3.8 billion light-years. At the same time, the review itself ASAS-SN is able to detect the usual, not only as bright supernovae at distances of about 350 million light years.

An unusual detail in the supernova is the galaxy in which ASASSN-15lh was discovered. Unlike other superbright supernova, lights up in dim galaxies are in the process of intense star formation, the star system, associated with a new object has a high luminosity – are several times higher than in the Milky Way. However, it is not known, whether a supernova in this galaxy or just appeared in the space in front of it.

The reasons for such a powerful output, the peak time is emitted in the 50 times more illumination than the entire Milky Way, is still being discussed by scientists . The spectral characteristics of the object to enable include type I supernovae, poor hydrogen and helium. In turn, responsible for the release of energy scientists think rapidly spinning neutron star at the center of the object – a magnetar. Preliminary calculations show that the central object of the supernova should rotate at 1000 revolutions per second and has a field of about 10 billion tesla. However, at such speeds becomes significant loss of energy from the gravitational waves – the energy of the object as close to the time limit.

In 2016, the authors were able to use to monitor the supernova remnant “Hubble.” Scientists hope that these observations will help pinpoint the nature of the object.