X-ray Burst May Be the First Sign of a Supernova

[Craig]

http://www.universetoday.com/98880/x-ray-burst-may-be-the-first-sign-of-a-supernova/

 

 

The first moments of a massive star going supernova may be heralded by a blast of x-rays, detectable by space telescopes like Swift, which could then tell astronomers where to look for the full show in gamma rays and optical wavelengths. These findings come from the University of Leicester in the UK where a research team was surprised by the excess of thermal x-rays detected along with gamma ray bursts associated with supernovae.

 

“The most massive stars can be tens to a hundred times larger than the Sun,†said Dr. Rhaana Starling of the University of Leicester  Department of Physics and Astronomy. “When one of these giants runs out of hydrogen gas it collapses catastrophically and explodes as a supernova, blowing off its outer layers which enrich the Universe.

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