A team of international astronomers has found the first evidence of the destruction of a swiftly spinning star in a phenomenon called a magneto-rotational hypernova. This is a new type of explosion that wasn’t observed before and is said to have occurred only a billion years after the Big Bang.
Scientists suggest the new type of explosion explains the presence of unusually high amounts of some elements found in another ancient star that belongs to the Milky Way galaxy. The star dubbed SMSS J200322.54-114203.3 features more elements like uranium, zinc, europium, and potentially gold and other stars that were formed during the same time.
Strong magnetic field boosts intensity
The team says that neutron star mergers that are accepted sources of the material required to produce such metals aren’t enough to explain the presence of these elements. As per the calculation from researchers, the violent collapse of an early star, boosted by its high rotation rate and the presence of a strong magnetic field, could be responsible for the extra neutrons required.
Researcher Dr. Simon Murphy the chemical composition of a star can help researchers to determine its age and environment where it was formed. He says the lack of heavy elements in the atmosphere of the star suggests that it is extremely cold, but is oddly abundant in zinc, europium, and uranium. He adds the chemical fingerprint of the star is a sign that it was formed from gas enriched due to the explosion of a massive star that has a strong magnetic field and high rotation speed.
Explosion powerful than supernova
Murphy suggests the explosion was more powerful than a supernova. He also says this is the first time astronomers have observed the chemical fingerprint of a hypernova explosion. He believes the discovery will pave the way for new theoretical studies to learn more about the new kind of explosion.
The star that exploded has an iron-to-hydrogen ratio about 3000 times lower than the sun, which is another rare thing observed. Scientists call it an extremely metal-poor star. Despite having less metal, it exceeds expectations when it comes to heavier elements, making it even rarer.
