Astronomers had recently discovered an unusual stellar explosion. This star, Sagittarius A East is located at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. The object was earlier classified as the residual of a giant star that exploded as a supernova. However, after longer observations Astronomers had found out that the star is actually the residual of the explosion of a white dwarf. Sagittarius A East belong to a special group of supernova known as ” type Iax “. These supernovae produce a different relative amount of elements compared to the conventional “type Ias”. Moreover, these explosions are less powerful.
“While we’ve found Type Iax supernovae in other galaxies, we haven’t identified evidence for one in the Milky Way until now, this discovery is important for getting a handle of the myriad ways white dwarfs explode.” said Ping Zhou of Nanjing University in China.” “This result shows us the diversity of types and causes of white dwarf explosions, and the different ways that they make these essential elements, If we’re right about the identity of this supernova’s remains, it would be the nearest known example to Earth.” said co-author Shing-Chi Leung of Caltech in Pasadena, California.
The main cause of these supernova explosions are thermonuclear reactions. However, these reactions are slower in Type Ia supernovae. These slow walks of the explosion result in relatively different amounts of residual elements produced. Moreover, Sagittarius A East lies very close to the Sagittarius A* (supermassive black hole present at the centre of the galaxy). The team used Chandra observations on the black hole and its surroundings to study Sagittarius A East. Interestingly the results agreed with the computer models in confirming Sagittarius A East being a white dwarf. Further research could potentially help us understand how these explosions seed the universe with the essential elements critical for life on Earth.
Reference: NASA
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