14 DAY TRIAL // Supernova blasts are well known for their ability to seed the Universe with heavy chemical elements such as iron. Recently, a new set of observations focused on the Carina Nebula revealed that the cosmic structure is producing numerous such events.
The blasts contribute to spreading the elements in the surrounding areas. Whenever a star explodes, it spreads all the material in the outer layers of its atmosphere into the surrounding nebula.
This means that the next generation of stars that will be born from those concentrations of cosmic dust and hydrogen gas will be more chemically-rich than their predecessors. The phenomenon repeats itself with increasing intensity in every new generation of stars.
Interestingly, stars cannot produce elements heavier than iron while they are still alive. As such, supernova events play an important role in priming the Universe for the development of life, or for the production of solid, rocky planets such as our own.
When a massive star reaches the end of its burning cycle, it exhausts all of its hydrogen fuel supplies. This renders it incapable of continuing to carry out thermonuclear reactions, and so the stellar object starts to fall apart.
At first, it sheds the outer layers of its atmosphere in a tremendously-powerful blast. This event leaves behind a small nebula, which is permeated by powerful electromagnetic fields and exotic chemicals.
The core of the star collapses in on itself – under the action of its own gravitational pull – and forms either a neutron star or a black hole, depending on the initial mass of the exploding star, Universe Today reports.
In the case of the Carina Nebula, studies conducted using the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals the existence of numerous supernovae, which exploded there in the past. Complementary studies carried out with the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope confirmed this in infrared wavelengths.
The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Chile-based Very Large Telescope (VLT) also surveyed the nebula, and found signs that up to six neutron stars may already exist in Carina. Several other massive stars appear ready to explode too.
Chandra also observed a large number of young, blue stars in the same stellar nursery. Most of these young objects will be destroyed by the supernova blasts that will destroy their larger cousins.