In a Huge First, Scientists Have Observed The 'Missing Link' Between Stars And Black Holes

[Judi Lynn]

11 January 2024
ByMICHELLE STARR



An artist's impression of a compact object and puffy companion star. (ESO/L. Calçada)

In a magnificent first, we finally have direct observational evidence of the stellar process that produces neutron stars and black holes.

From a supernova that exploded in a nearby galaxy, astronomers observed the emergence of something with the hallmarks of such compact objects. It's not clear which kind, neutron star or black hole, but the finding finally confirms that the core collapse of massive stars produces the densest objects in the Universe, in a spectacular explosion of stellar material.

Stellar-mass black holes and neutron stars are thought to be the result of similar processes.

Towards the end of its lifespan, a star runs out of the fuel required to sustain fusion, the process that keeps it burning. There's a somewhat complicated series of events, but ultimately, the star will eject its outer material; the core, no longer supported by the outward pressure of fusion, collapses under gravity to become a super-dense object (for most stars, anyway).

The nature of that object depends on its mass. Stars smaller than eight Suns produce a white dwarf, the eventual predicted fate of the Sun itself.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/in-a-huge-first-scientists-have-observed-the-missing-link-between-stars-and-black-holes