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.
What prompted the scientists to conduct the study was the unusual orbit of CPD-29 2176. – We noticed that it is almost circular compared to other systems of this type, so we began to study its evolution. We’ve noticed, the researchers said, that the rich history of interactions in this system can only explain what it looks like now and predict what it will look like in the future.
The CPD-29 2176 system is only 11,000 km away. 400 light-years from Earth and very bright. This allowed us to collect enough data to describe its evolution. Thanks to this, scientists were able to find out what the systems in which kilonovas occur look like. A very important component of the whole system is the circular orbit and the fact that the Be star is spinning very quickly, a relic of the time it sucked matter from its companion star.
The authors of the study speculate that within a few million years the Be star will explode as a highly striated supernova, turning into a neutron star, and within a few billion years the two neutron stars will merge and a kilonova explosion will occur.
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