2024-01-04 17:47:49
The ALMA telescope shows how the gas around the dying star in W Aquilae has been shaped by interactions with a Sun-like companion star. Both stars are located in the bright central region of this image. – SOUL
MADRID, 4 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Observations with the ALMA telescope have unraveled the cosmic mysteries surrounding a dying star, revealing an intricate celestial dance shaped by unusual chemistry.
The study, published in Nature Astronomysheds light on the orbit of a cool red giant star, which sheds its outer layers in a dramatic stellar wind during the twilight of its existence.
In a fascinating exploration of the final stages of a star’s life, researchers stumbled upon unexpected molecular emissions on one side of the star, a cosmic anomaly that points to the involvement of a hotter companion star.
Lead author Dr Taïssa Danilovich, an Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA Fellow from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University, said it’s a statement: “Once we noticed the peculiar emission of silicon nitride on one side, we knew something extraordinary was developing.”
This cosmic spectacle takes place in the W Aquilae system, where the dying star does not act alone, but rather shares its cosmic stage with a longer-lived Sun-like star. Until now, the complexities of its orbit remained veiled by cosmic mystery, and it was only speculated that it could last centuries.
However, the study’s recent revelations provide a surprising answer: a very elliptical orbit that takes approximately a millennium to complete a fascinating cycle.
The research team used hydrodynamic simulations to decode the impact of the Sun-like companion on the dying star’s stellar wind.
Visualized as concentric rings when viewed from the side, these patterns were not just theoretical; were vividly confirmed by the ALMA data. Complemented by observations from the SPHERE instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope and historical insights from the Hubble Space Telescope, the team discovered the secrets of stellar movements.
The implications extend beyond the cosmic stage of W Aquilae. The study is pioneering a technique that uses ALMA to detect chemical signatures left by past stellar encountersa tool that promises to reveal the hidden companions of other enigmatic dying stars shrouded in cosmic dust.
In a galaxy where nearly half of stars like our Sun exist in pairs or triples, this research marks a crucial milestone in understanding how stellar companions shape the fates of their celestial neighbors.
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