Related papers: Visual Observability of the Cassiopeia A Supernova
We report on the first detection of GeV high-energy gamma-ray emission from a young supernova remnant with the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. These observations reveal a source with no discernible spatial…
When a massive star reaches the end of its lifetime, its core collapses and releases neutrinos that drive a shock into the outer layers (stellar envelope). A sufficiently strong shock ejects the envelope, producing a supernova. If the shock…
The cooling rate of young neutron stars gives direct insight into their internal makeup. Although the temperatures of several young neutron stars have been measured, until now a young neutron star has never been observed to decrease in…
We have performed the first detailed spatially resolved spectroscopy of Cas A in the 1.6-10 keV energy range, using data taken with the MECS spectrometer on board the BeppoSAX Observatory. We performed a spatial deconvolution of the data…
The discovery of a population of superluminous supernovae (SLSNe), with peak luminosities a factor of ~100 brighter than normal SNe (typically SLSNe have M_V <-21), has shown an unexpected diversity in core-collapse supernova properties.…
The progenitors of Type Ia and some core collapse supernovae are thought to be stars in binary systems, but little observational evidence exists to confirm the hypothesis. We suggest that the collision of the supernova ejecta with its…
Multi wavelength observations of Cassiopeia A (Cas A) have provided us with a strong evidence for the presence of circumstellar material surrounding the progenitor star. It has been suggested that its progenitor was a massive star with a…
Type Ia Supernovae are in many aspects still enigmatic objects. Recent years have witnessed a bonanza of supernova observations. The increased samples from dedicated searches have allowed the statistical investigation of Type Ia Supernovae…
The observed rapid cooling of the Cassiopeia A neutron star (Cas A NS) can be interpreted as being triggered by the onset of neutron superfluidity in the core of the star, causing enhanced neutrino emission from neutron Cooper pair breaking…
We present the global distribution of fine structure infrared line emission in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Spectrograph. We identify emission from ejecta materials in the…
The death of massive stars produces a variety of supernovae, which are linked to the structure of the exploding stars. The detection of several precursor stars of Type II supernovae have been reported, however we do not yet have direct…
The surface of hot neutron stars is covered by a thin atmosphere. If there is accretion after neutron star formation, the atmosphere could be composed of light elements (H or He); if no accretion takes place or if thermonuclear reactions…
SN 2006gy radiated far more energy in visual light than any other supernova so far, and potential explanations for its energy demands have implications for galactic chemical evolution and the deaths of the first stars. It remained bright…
The absence of Type IIP core-collapse supernovae arising from progenitors above 17 solar masses suggests the existence of another evolutionary path by which massive stars end their lives. The direct collapse of a stellar core to a black…
The explosive death of a star as a supernova is one of the most dramatic events in the Universe. Supernovae have an outsized impact on many areas of astrophysics: they are major contributors to the chemical enrichment of the cosmos and…
An important and perhaps critical clue to the mechanism driving the explosion of massive stars as supernovae is provided by the accumulating evidence for asymmetry in the explosion. Indirect evidence comes from high pulsar velocities,…
The study of the stars that explode as supernovae used to be a forensic study, working backwards from the remnants of the star. This changed in 1987 when the first progenitor star was identified in pre-explosion images. Currently there are…
We performed extensive, multi-wavelength observations of the prototypical symbiotic star Z Andromedae between 2000 and 2003, during a large eruption. The rise to optical maximum occurred in three distinct stages. During the first stage, the…
The ultimate fate of the universe, infinite expansion or a big crunch, can be determined by measuring the redshifts, apparent brightnesses, and intrinsic luminosities of very distant supernovae. Recent developments have provided tools that…
Hydrogen-rich core collapse supernovae, known as "Type II" supernovae, are the most common type of stellar explosion realized in nature. They are defined by the presence of prominent hydrogen lines in their spectra. Type II supernovae are…