Supernovae are among the most violent events occurring in the universe. They deserve considerable attention due to their extraordinary energies and the celestial objects that emerge when they explode. However, recently, a gamma-ray burst called BOAT (Brightest of All Time) occurred. It stood out as the brightest supernova explosion observed so far. Here are the details!
The brightest supernova explosion ever observed!
A supernova can be described as the death moment of stars that have a mass more than eight times that of the Sun. Although we refer to this event as the “death” of the star, the word encompasses various meanings. Following the occurrence of a supernova, black holes and neutron stars emerge, which are some of the most intriguing celestial objects in the universe.
The event that gives rise to these celestial objects with extremely dense structures is a supernova explosion. The reason for this is that matter under such intense pressure collapses to form a black hole. Conversely, if the compression decreases, it results in a neutron star.
Today, a telescope observed a burst called BOAT, providing us with information about what happened in the days following the supernova explosion. The telescope in question is the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO).
LHAASO not only captured the initial event but also tracked the subsequent developments after the BOAT supernova exploded. While there were some issues with spatial resolution, a significant amount of data was collected. Within the first 100 minutes, more than 64,000 photons with energies above 200 giga-electron volts were detected.
According to researchers, this data suggests that low-energy events are caused by the interaction of jets with the turbulent debris of the supernova. This debris, located close to the source of the jets and complex in nature, limits the speed of cosmic particles, thus imposing a constraint on their energies.
On the contrary, higher-energy photons are produced in regions where the jets start to clear the supernova remnants and interact with the material surrounding the star. Leaving behind the remnants of a supernova might seem challenging, but the process occurs rapidly as the jet particles are accelerated to nearly the speed of light.
In the case of BOAT, there was a sharp decline in high-energy photons during the supernova event. It is suggested that this is due to the expansion of the jets as they move away from their sources. Additionally, since the central core of the jet is directly facing Earth, it is understood that BOAT is the brightest supernova.
So, what are your thoughts on this matter? Don’t forget to share your opinions with us in the comments section!
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