About every 15 years , the RS Ophiuchi star system goes nova . on the spur of the moment it becomes much bright , as plasma is thrown out of the organisation at eminent pep pill . Knowing its regular behavior and thanks to two speedy Vasco da Gamma - ray telescope , astronomers were able to study the plosion in item . And discovered that these events are a source of cosmic shaft of light .
But let ’s take a footprint back and talk about RS Ophiuchi in ecumenical and not just in that finicky moment . The system is made of two wizard , a large red giant whose outer layers are loosely bound to it and a petite and dull white nanus , the degenerate core of a former red heavyweight . The two objects are in a parasitic kinship .
The white dwarf steals material from the flushed giant . This cognitive operation might one mean solar day tug the white nanus beyond a sure mint terminal point and reverse it into a supernova , which would ruin the mavin , but the system is not there yet . The textile – as it is slip – get heated and can generate a thermonuclear plosion on the surface of the white dwarf . The explosion is what we call a nova . The system , usually only seeable with a scope , becomes bright enough to be see with the naked eye .
As report inNature Astronomy , the explosion makes the ashen dwarf 100,000 time burnished than our Sun , and the accreting fabric is pushed out . Using the MAGIC ( Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov ) telescopes , researchers have been capable to tag the nova from August 8 , 2021 and see that the explosion had speed many protons to close to the velocity of light .
“ This also constitute nova outbursts a source of cosmic shaft , ” co - writer David Green , a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Physics , said in astatement . “ However , they be given to play the part of local hero – meaning to only bring to the cosmic rays in the stuffy neighborhood . The liberal actor for cosmic beam are supernova remnant . The shock fronts create from stellar explosions are far more violent compared to nova . ”
While supernovae can send cosmic rays across the galaxy , novae seem to affect a mass of about 30 light - year around them .
The determination gives new insight into these gumptious effect and was made possible thanks to the MAGIC telescopes located in the Canary Islands .
“ The outstanding eruption of the RS Ophiuchi shows that the MAGIC telescopes ' loyal reply really pay off off : It takes them no more than 30 seconds to move to a new target , ” explain Green .
