A Stellar Journey: ISRO’s XPOSAT Explores the Cosmic Phenomena of Supernovas
“We are composed of starstuff, as the nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, and the carbon in our apple pies all originated from the interiors of collapsing stars.”
– Carl Sagan
This profound statement by Carl Sagan beautifully captures the essence of our cosmic connection. The stars, those twinkling specks in the night sky, are not just distant suns, but the very vessels in which the recipe for life was cooked. The most dramatic events in this cosmic saga include supernovae, unimaginable scale and powerful stellar explosions that seed the universe with the building blocks of planets and life.
A supernova occurs when a star reaches the end of its life cycle. After using up its nuclear fuel, the star’s core can no longer withstand the outward pressure against gravity. This imbalance leads to a catastrophic collapse followed by a massive explosion. Within seconds, a process equivalent to the collapse of a million Earths occurs, releasing massive shock waves that tear the star apart.
There are mainly two scenarios that lead to a supernova. The first, as described, is the gravitational collapse of massive stars. The second occurs in binary star systems, where a white dwarf star, as dense as the Sun but only as large as the Earth, begins to absorb material from a companion star. This could re-ignite nuclear fusion, leading to an explosive end.
The closest known white dwarf, Sirius B, is located 8.6 light-years away, part of the Sirius binary system. Interestingly, the earliest recorded supernova, HB9, was probably observed in the Indian subcontinent around 4500 ± 1000 BC.
Supernovae are necessary cosmic events because they create and spread elements such as calcium and iron into space. These elements, which are important to life as we know it, are then incorporated into new stars and planets. In fact, the Solar Nebula, the cloud of gas and dust that gave birth to our Solar System, was enriched with elements from earlier supernovae.
Join the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) XPOSAT, launched on January 1, 2024. Equipped with the U R Rao Satellite Center’s XSPECT (X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing) payload, XPOSAT is set to revolutionize our understanding of supernovae and black holes. . The satellite’s first target was Cassiopeia A, a supernova remnant with a temperature of about 30 million Kelvin and expanding at about 4000 km/s. In 2013, astronomers discovered phosphorus in Cassiopeia A, which reinforces the theory of supernova nucleosynthesis – the process by which supernovae create new elements.
XPOSAT’s Cassiopeia A survey confirmed the presence of elements such as magnesium, silicon, sulfur, argon, calcium and iron, confirming the role of supernovae in cosmic chemistry. This breakthrough is not only a scientific triumph, but a reminder of our stellar lineage.
So remember, the next time you look at the stars, you’re not just looking at distant suns, but at the origin of our existence. ISRO’s XPOSAT peeks into the core of supernovae and helps us understand not only the universe but also ourselves. We really are made of star products.
(Written by Manish Purohit.
The author is an accomplished solar energy and spacecraft solar panel expert with extensive experience in managing critical space missions including Chandrayaan 2 and Mangalyaan. His expertise in solar panel manufacturing, technology implementation and cost-effective solutions has been instrumental in advancing space exploration and solar energy initiatives.
Twitter: @purohitmanish)
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