Astronomers have spotted an immensely energetic explosion emanating from an ancient galaxy, apparently triggered by a type of star destruction hypothesised for decades but never before observed.
You might call it stellar death by demolition derby.
Researchers said the gamma-ray burst they observed may have been caused by the collision of two compact stars in the densely packed and chaotic environment near a supermassive black hole at the centre of this elliptically shaped galaxy.
They suspect the two doomed stars were neutron stars, which pack roughly the mass of our Sun into a sphere only the size of a city.
“In order to explain the gamma-ray burst, it has to have been a compact star, so not one like the sun,” said astronomer Andrew Levan of Radboud University in the Netherlands, lead author of the research published this week in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Wen-fai Fong of Northwestern University in Illinois, astrophysicist and study co-author, said: “Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the universe. They release more energy per unit time than any other known cosmic phenomena.
“So they are really superlative in their properties. Their name comes from the first type of light that we see, gamma-rays, but they actually emit across the electromagnetic spectrum.”
Immense gravitational forces exerted by the black hole at the galactic centre may wreak havoc, perturbing the motion of nearby stars and other objects and increasing the chances of collisions – akin, the researchers said, to a demolition derby.
“Most stars in the universe die in a predictable way, which is just based on their mass,” Mr Levan said. “This research shows a new route to stellar destruction.”
Very massive stars – more than 10 times the Sun's mass – die in a supernova blast that leaves behind neutron stars or even denser black holes, whose gravitational pull is so strong no matter or light can escape.
Relatively low-mass stars like our Sun puff up and blow off their outer layers, transforming into a stellar remnant called a white dwarf.
The new findings show another path to stellar demise.
“The idea that stars also can die through collisions in extremely dense regions has been around since at least the 1980s. So we've been waiting for 40 years for the signatures to be found observationally,” Mr Levan said.
The researchers used data from orbiting and ground-based telescopes to study the gamma-ray burst in a galaxy about 3 billion light-years away from Earth, roughly in the direction of the constellation Aquarius.
Largest image by James Webb space telescopes shows glittering galaxies – in pictures
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
