Category Astronomy/Space

Slice through the three-dimensional simulation volume after 105 days in the common envelope. In the orbital plane, the companion star and the red giant core are circling around each other. Credit: Ohlmann /HITS

HITS astrophysicists use new methods to simulate the common-envelope phase of binary stars, discovering dynamic irregularities that may help to explain how supernovae evolve. More than half the stars have a companion that can have a major impact on their primary companions. The interplay within these so-called binary star systems is particularly intensive when the 2 stars involved are going through a phase in which they are surrounded by a common envelope...

Particle fates after 100 My for both (a) planetary embryo and (b) full-mass planet simulations, initially with 10,000 particles per zone.

Not only is the “Jupiter as shield” concept, implying that the planet shields Earth from comet impacts, not true, but perhaps Jupiter’s most important role in fostering the development of life on Earth was just the opposite – delivering the volatile materials from the outer Solar System needed for life to form. This new simulation study, and the previously underestimated role that Saturn may have also played in the evolution of life on Earth, are presented in an original research article published in Astrobiology.

The semimajor axes and eccentricities for all particles that survived 100 My of integration time for both (a) planetary embryo and (b) full-ma...

Blue, green, and red colors are attributed to the B-band, R-band, and H-alpha (emission line from ionized hydrogen gas) images, respectively. The giant ionized gas blown out from the galaxy is seen in red. Credit: Hiroshima University / NAOJ

Astronomers have revealed the detailed structure of a massive 300,000 light-yr long ionized gas outflow streaming from starburst galaxy NGC 6240. The light-collecting power and high spatial resolution of Subaru Telescope made it possible to study, for the first time, the complex structure of one of the largest known superwinds being driven by starbirth – and star death.

The term “starburst” indicates large-scale intensive star-forming activity, making a “starburst galaxy” one where starbirth is occurring on a grand scale...

The young star 2MASS J16281370-2431391 lies in the spectacular Rho Ophiuchi star formation region, about 400 light-years from Earth. It is surrounded by a disc of gas and dust — such discs are called protoplanetary discs as they are the early stages in the creation of planetary systems. This particular disc is seen nearly edge-on, and its appearance in visible light pictures has led to its being nicknamed the Flying Saucer. The main image shows part of the Rho Ophiuchi region and a much enlarged close-up infrared view of the Flying Saucer from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is shown as an insert. Credit: Digitized Sky Survey 2/NASA/ESA

An international team measured the temperature of large dust grains around the young star 2MASS J16281370-2431391 in the spectacular Rho Ophiuchi star ...