Novel Type of Supernova Caused by Interaction Between Black Holes and Stars

What constitutes a Supernova?

Hydrostatic Equilibrium in a Star: A star exists due to a harmony between;

Gravity that draws matter inward and

Nuclear Fusion emits energy outward by merging hydrogen into helium, and subsequently into heavier elements.

A supernova is a bright and intense stellar explosion that takes place when a star exhausts its life cycle. This occurs when the core of a giant star collapses due to gravity after it depletes its nuclear fuel.

The collapse generates a shockwave that drives the star’s outer layers into space, resulting in a supernova.

Categories of Supernovae

Core-Collapse Supernova (Type II, Ib, Ic): These supernovae take place in massive stars with a mass of at least eight times that of the Sun. Once nuclear fusion ceases, the core implodes and the outer layers explode outward. It remains after.

A neutron star (if its mass is at least eight solar masses), or

A black hole (if its mass is at least 20 times that of the sun).

Thermonuclear Supernova (Type Ia): This phenomenon takes place in binary star systems when a white dwarf star gathers material from its partner.

When a white dwarf surpasses the Chandrasekhar Limit of around 1.4 solar masses, it causes core compression and uncontrolled nuclear fusion, culminating in a Type Ia supernova without a core remnant.

What defines a Black Hole?

A black hole is an incredibly compact object with gravity so powerful that nothing, not even light, can get away from it.

Traits: A black hole lacks a surface, unlike a planet or a star. Rather, it is a zone in space where matter has imploded, leading to a vast quantity of mass being concentrated in an extremely tiny region.

The core of a black hole is a gravitational singularity, a location at which the general theory of relativity ceases to function. The immense gravitational force of a black hole appears to originate from the singularity.

The event horizon is the limit that surrounds a black hole. It indicates the boundary beyond which nothing can go back.

The idea of black holes was proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915 via his General Theory of Relativity.

The phrase “black hole” was subsequently invented by John Archibald Wheeler during the 1960s.

Concerning the recent occurrence

A binary star system, located roughly 700 million light-years away, was discovered to consist of two enormous stars.

A star reached the end of its existence, exploding as a supernova and collapsing into a black hole.

The remaining companion star, at a minimum 10 times the mass of the Sun, slowly orbited closer to the black hole.

The star was warped by the black hole, which drew in its matter. Ultimately, the star detonated in a supernova-like occurrence.

Importance of the occurrence:

Activated by a Black Hole: Unlike standard supernovae resulting from internal imbalances, this burst was probably initiated by the gravitational influence of an adjacent black hole.

Pre-Explosion Signatures: Astronomers observed intense emissions several years prior to the explosion, probably caused by the black hole removing the star’s hydrogen layer.