The creation of dust in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way has been attributed to exploding stars, but most dust in elliptical galaxies may come from a different type of supernova.
Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsust may mostly seem like a housecleaning nuisance, in the far reaches of space, it plays an exciting role in galaxy research. Although the existence of dust in space continues to be surrounded by intrigue, an international team of astronomers recently identified a type Ia supernova creating cosmic dust.highlighted this previously unknown source of cosmic dust.
The light emitted by the supernova became dim in the wavelengths our eyes can perceive, but then glowed brighter in infrared light. This meant that dust was being produced in the nearby gas, which cooled after the supernova shock wave passed through it.The amount of dust created by the supernova is estimated to equal more than 1 percent of the Sun’s mass. The dust will further proliferate, potentially capable of increasing tenfold as the supernova cools.
"This study offers insights into the contribution of thermonuclear supernovae to cosmic dust, and more such events may be expected to be found in the era of the James Webb Space Telescope," said Wang Lifan from Texas A&M University, a co-first author of the study, in a release. "The creation of dust is just gas getting cold enough to condense," said Andy Howell from Las Cumbres Observatory and the University of California Santa Barbara. "One day that dust will condense into planetesimals and, ultimately, planets. This is creation starting anew in the wake of stellar death. It is exciting to understand another link in the circle of life and death in the universe.
Although this process of dust creation is still not as abundant or efficient as core-collapse supernovae in spiral galaxies, it could explain how the majority of dust in elliptical galaxies manifests.
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