New research suggests that the horrors of the explosive death of massive stars, known as supernovas, may have had dramatic effects on the climate of our planet on its distant history. The investigation into the historical incidents of these events could help scientists predict similar events in the future and prepare for them.
Supernovas occur when stars that are much more massive than the sun Reach the end of their nuclear fuel supply and can no longer support themselves against their own gravity. The resulting complete gravitational collapse creates a neutron star or a black holeand also sends an explosion of energy and high -speed particles that can cross Star systems And whole galaxies In some cases.
It is estimated that if a supernova broke out in about 30 light years from our planet, our atmosphere would be violently torn and all life on earth perished. Thus, it goes without saying that if a massive star broke out in the hundreds of light years of the earth, this cosmic explosion may not be fatal, but could cause extreme changes in our atmosphere, say astronomers.
“We have sudden environmental changes in the history of the earth”, research author and principal researcher at the Research Institute in Arctic and Alpine, Robert Brakenridge, said in a statement. It’s solid, we see these changes. So what caused them?
“When neighboring supernovas occur in the future, the influence could have a fairly dramatic effect on human society. We must know if they have indeed caused environmental changes in the past.”
Brakenridge is hardly the first person to consider the possibility that the past and future incidents of supernovas have an impact The atmosphere of the earth.
However, previous studies have focused on physics behind such an incident. Instead of doing so, Brakenridge tried to apply these theories to empirical evidence of such events observed both on earth and in space.
Trees rings hide a supernova explosion record
First of all, Brakenridge turned to data from a range of powerful space telescopes, which have long collected data on the characteristics of supernovas.
This helped the researcher build a more detailed model of how supernova radiation would interact with The atmosphere of the earth that it had been possible before.
This new model revealed that a sudden radiance of high energy photons, the particles of light, from a supernova would not miss the earth ozone layer. This is important because the ozone layer protects our planet from the harmful radiation of the sun.
Without this shielding, solar radiation would begin to degrade methane In the stratosphere, the second weakest layer in the earth’s atmosphere. This molecule is a major engine of the earth greenhouse. This means that methane is decreased, the heat effect for heat would be hampered, causing the cooling of the earth.
In turn, this would lead the earth to receive more high -energy ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which can be extremely harmful to life. Thus, Brakenridge predicts that the effects of monitoring the radiation of supernova the earth bombarding could include animal extinctionsIncrease in forest and global cooling fires.
The fact that the earth does not seem to be currently under bombing by radiation from a neighboring supernova (phew!) This means that this model cannot be tested in real time. This led Brakenridge to turn to the geological dossier of the Earth to hunt past incidents.
Particularly useful for scientists were trees This can reveal old atmospheric conditions. Indeed, the trees absorb carbon atmosphere in their trunk radioactive isotopes carbon in the atmosphere of our planet.
Brakenridge has examined the recordings of the trees of trees covering about 15,000 years, identifying 11 revealing radioactive carbon points. The researcher theorizes that these points could correspond to 11 times the earth has been energized with a radiation from supernova.
“The events we know, here on Earth are at the right time and in the right intensity,” said Brakenridge.
Currently, the scientist cannot be completely confident that these points are linked to supernovas.
Another possible culprit for these points which must be eliminated are solar eruptions sun. To eliminate this possibility, researchers can cut these results of trees with evidence locked in other geological sources such as ice nuclei and sediments from the bottom of the ocean.
A more in -depth study of the possible link between the influence of supernova and the earth’s atmosphere could help humanity prepare for future events.
This can become particularly relevant when Red giant star known as BételgeuseLocated at around 700 light years old, goes Supernova. It is planned to occur Over the next 100,000 years.
“While we learn more about our neighboring neighboring stars, the prediction capacity is in fact there,” concluded Brakenridge. “It will take more modeling and observation of astrophysicists to fully understand the exposure of the earth to such events.”
Team research was published in the June edition of The monthly opinions of the Royal Astronomical Society.