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Star exploded, survived, and exploded again more than 50 years later

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:27 pm
by jamesrm
Star exploded, survived, and exploded again more than 50 years later
https://phys.org/news/2017-11-star-survived-years.html
It turned out that somehow this star exploded more than half a century ago, survived, and exploded again in 2014.
"This supernova breaks everything we thought we knew about how they work," said lead author Iair Arcavi of University of California Santa Barbara and Las Cumbres Observatory.

Re: Star exploded, survived, and exploded again more than 50 years later

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2017 1:24 pm
by bperet
jamesrm wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 7:27 pm Star exploded, survived, and exploded again more than 50 years later
https://phys.org/news/2017-11-star-survived-years.html
It turned out that somehow this star exploded more than half a century ago, survived, and exploded again in 2014.
"This supernova breaks everything we thought we knew about how they work," said lead author Iair Arcavi of University of California Santa Barbara and Las Cumbres Observatory.
Nothing unusual here... Larson discusses this in Universe of Motion. IF they have correctly identified the star as a type II supernova (and not just a regular "nova"), then it is a thermal-limit detonation (not age limit), which typically only destroys the outer layers of the star, containing elements lighter than the nickel-iron-cobalt range. The core remains intact--but moving FTL, may not be visible right away. Gravity will then do its thing and cover it, so it can explode again.