April 1, 2023

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We know the first system to turn into a kilonova is extremely rare

The first kilonova was detected in 2013, when it was observed that this type of event was the source of a gamma-ray burst. We have now found the first system to become a kilonova, and understanding it will help us better understand how the universe is enriched with heavy elements, including gold and platinum.

The recently discovered CPD-29 2176 system has been studied extensively by scientists at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the University of Auckland, NASA and other institutions. Scientists report that the system consists of two stars orbiting each other in very tight orbits. One is a neutron star, which was created by a supernova explosion, but which ejected much less matter than in a typical explosion. We’re talking about a highly striated supernova here. They form in binary systems when a star loses matter to its companion and then explodes. It is so gentle that it neither destroys the star, which turns into a neutron star, nor ejects its companion, which itself may evolve into a neutron star.

The second component of the system is the Be-type star. This star is losing its matter to a neutron star, and scientists believe it will become a supernova itself in the future. Scientists also expect a soft explosion that will keep the binary system alive. So we will be dealing with a binary system consisting of two neutron stars in very tight orbits. They will generate gravitational waves until they finally merge in a kilonova explosion.