Uncovering New Details About the Tycho Supernova Remnant with IXPE
Researchers at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome have recently used data from NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) to uncover new information about the Tycho supernova remnant, an exploded star in the constellation Cassiopeia which was first seen on Earth in 1572.[0] This remnant, classified as a Type Ia, is an event which occurs when a white dwarf star in a binary system shreds its companion star, capturing some of its mass and leading to a violent explosion. The blast released as much energy as the Sun would emit over ten billion years, and was visible to many humans on Earth.
Using IXPE, the researchers were able to measure the X-ray polarization of the remnant, which allowed them to map the direction of the magnetic fields at the location where the X-rays were generated. They found that the overall direction of the magnetic fields in both the Tycho and Cassiopeia A supernovas appears to be radial, stretched out along a direction extending outward.[1] However, Tycho yielded a much higher degree of X-ray polarization than Cassiopeia A, suggesting it may possess a more ordered, less turbulent magnetic field.[1]
The findings have implications for cosmology, as white dwarf explosions are often used as indicators of distance.[2] They also produce a large number of iron group elements, such as iron, cobalt, and nickel, that are necessary for the chemical formation of the universe.[2] Understanding how these stellar reactions affect the distribution of iron elements around the cosmos could give researchers deeper insight into the chemical formation of the universe.[3]
Dr. Riccardo Ferrazzoli, a researcher at the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome, stated that it is exciting to be able to see this object again with new eyes and to learn from it 450 years after its first appearance in the sky.[4] As one of the so-called historical supernovas, Tycho had a lasting social and even artistic impact.[4] These new findings bring researchers closer to understanding the process in which cosmic rays – highly energetic particles – are accelerated by supernova remnants.[0]
0. “Scientists reveal new clues about historic Tycho supernova” Fox News, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/science/scientists-reveal-new-clues-historic-tycho-supernova
1. “NASA's IXPE Unravels Mysteries Of Famous Supernova Which Was Discovered 450 Years Ago. All About It” ABP Live, 1 Mar. 2023, https://news.abplive.com/science/nasa-s-ixpe-unravels-mysteries-of-famous-supernova-which-was-discovered-450-years-ago-all-about-it-1585489
2. “Supernova Helps Scientists Understand the Universe's Make-Up” AZoQuantum, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.azoquantum.com/News.aspx?newsID=9460
3. “Galactic Explosion Reveals New Details About the Universe” SciTechDaily, 3 Mar. 2023, https://scitechdaily.com/galactic-explosion-reveals-new-details-about-the-universe/
4. “NASA sheds light on a massive supernova dating back to Middle Ages” Interesting Engineering, 1 Mar. 2023, https://interestingengineering.com/science/tycho-supernova-dating-back-middle-ages
