Progenitors of AM CVn systems
The progenitors of a special type of cataclysmic variable, AM CVn, and possibly supernovae have been found.
Evidence for two distinct populations of Type Ia Supernovae
Type Ia Supernovae are extensively used in astronomy research, but the progenitors of these massive explosions are still not well understood. This paper discusses new evidence that there are two distinct populations of type Ia supernovae, and that they originate from different stellar populations.
Exploding diamonds in the sky
Pakmor et al. propose a new mechanism to make Type 1a supernova explosions from a pair of white dwarfs.
Extreme Supernovae with Pan-STARRS
Starting in 2005 with SN 2005ap, astronomers began to detect new transients that are far more luminous than previously-known supernovae. With brightnesses ten times those seen in Type 1a’s, these new supernovae have been dubbed “ultraluminous supernovae.” This paper presents two new supernovae discovered by Pan-STARRS.
Simulating a star at the brink of explosion
Supernovae are vitally important in the chemical and dynamical evolution of galaxies, but we don’t yet fully understand the physics that produce these explosions. This new work simulates the turbulent instabilities in a star at the brink of core-collapse.