Emission lines due to ionizing radiation from a compact object in the remnant of Supernova 1987A. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38386759/)

These scientists wanted to learn more about a big explosion that happened in space called Supernova 1987A. They think that when this explosion happened, a special object called a neutron star or a black hole was created, but they have not been able to see it directly.

To try and find this object, the scientists used a powerful telescope called the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to look at the leftover material from the explosion. They found some very thin lines of light made by elements like argon and sulfur. These lines were moving very fast and seemed to be coming from a bright light source near the center of the explosion.

By studying these lines of light, the scientists think that they might have found the neutron star or a pulsar wind nebula that was created during the explosion. The fast movement of the lines could also suggest that the neutron star got a big kick when it was formed. This study helps us learn more about how these special objects are created and what happens after a big explosion in space.

Fransson C., Barlow MJ., Kavanagh PJ., Larsson J., Jones OC., Sargent B., Meixner M., Bouchet P., Temim T., Wright GS., Blommaert JADL., Habel N., Hirschauer AS., Hjorth J., Lenkic L., Tikkanen T., Wesson R., Coulais A., Fox OD., Gastaud R., Glasse A., Jaspers J., Krause O., Lau RM., Nayak O., Rest A., Colina L., van Dishoeck EF., Gudel M., Henning T., Lagage PO., Ostlin G., Ray TP., Vandenbussche B. Emission lines due to ionizing radiation from a compact object in the remnant of Supernova 1987A. Science. 2024 Feb 23;383(6685):898-903. doi: 10.1126/science.adj5796. Epub 2024 Feb 22.