The Vela Junior supernova, identified also by its designation RX J0852.0-4622 or G266.2-1.2, underwent its cataclysmic explosion millennia ago, leaving in its wake an incandescent nebula. However, astronomers previously lacked the definitive data to ascertain its precise distance and the magnitude of this cosmic event. This uncertainty has now been resolved with the identification of a star currently in its formative stages, designated Ve 7-27. Employing the sophisticated capabilities of the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument mounted on ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, an astronomical team has successfully captured the inaugural high-resolution depiction of Ve 7-27.
This VLT/MUSE image showcases Ve 7-27. Image credit: ESO / Suherli et al.
“This represents the inaugural empirical evidence establishing a direct correlation between a nascent star and the remnant of a supernova,” stated Dr. Samar Safi-Harb, an astrophysicist affiliated with the University of Manitoba.
“It affords us the opportunity to resolve a protracted debate spanning several decades, thereby enabling the determination of Vela Junior’s spatial proximity, its dimensional scale, and the true intensity of its explosive force.”
Through the meticulous analysis of the gaseous outflow emanating from Ve 7-27, Dr. Safi-Harb and her collaborators ascertained that this expelled material possesses the identical elemental composition characteristic of the material originating from the Vela Junior supernova.
This definitive alignment serves as confirmation that these two celestial entities are intrinsically linked, consequently empowering astronomers to definitively quantify Vela Junior’s distance from our vantage point.
Given that Ve 7-27 is established to reside approximately 4,500 light-years distant, it follows that Vela Junior shares this same spatial coordinate.
“The gaseous components we are observing within this young stellar object exhibit the identical chemical signature to that of the progenitor star which underwent its terminal explosion in the distant past,” Dr. Safi-Harb elaborated.
“There is a certain poetic resonance in the fact that these same constituent elements eventually journeyed to Earth, and we are now observing them actively participating in the genesis of a new star.”
The resultant findings indicate that Vela Junior is of greater magnitude, possessed of more profound energetic output, and is expanding at a more accelerated rate than was previously inferred by scientists, thereby categorizing it among the more formidable supernova remnants within our Galaxy.
“A star possesses a stratified structure, analogous to the concentric layers of an onion,” Dr. Safi-Harb explained.
“Upon its explosive demise, these constituent layers are dispersed throughout the cosmos.”
“Our discovery reveals that these dispersed layers are now being incorporated into the energetic jet emitted by a nearby nascent star.”
“Beyond offering a resolution to an enduring astronomical enigma, this research provides novel insights into the processes of stellar evolution, the mechanisms by which galaxies are enriched with fundamental elements, and the ongoing influence of extreme cosmic phenomena in shaping the fabric of the Universe.”
This groundbreaking research endeavor was officially published today in the esteemed Astrophysical Journal Letters.
