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2w ago

Black Hole–Star Encounter Confirmed as Trigger for Unprecedented Supernova

The Astrophysical Journal paper reveals that a black hole collision ignited SN 2023zkd, highlighting the importance of AI in spotting rare cosmic blasts

A study led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) has captured the explosive interaction between a black hole and a massive nearby star (blue), as depicted in this artist's conception. As the separation between the star and the black hole decreased, the black hole's intense gravity pulled gas and dust off of the star into a disk. Before the star was able to swallow the black hole, gravitational stress from the black hole triggered the star's explosion. Collisions between the stellar explosion and shells of material from earlier interactions located above and below the disk, powered a dramatic re-brightening event. Credit: Melissa Weiss/CfA
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Overview

  • Astrophysicists now recognize black hole–star encounters as a viable trigger for supernovae, providing the strongest direct evidence of this mechanism
  • The paper outlines two plausible scenarios: a >30-solar-mass star engulfing a stellar-mass black hole or a tidal disruption of the star by its black hole companion
  • Detailed archival photometry identifies years of pre-explosion brightening and two concentric circumstellar shells whose interaction with the blast explains SN 2023zkd’s double-peaked light curve
  • The LAISS AI system flagged SN 2023zkd as an outlier in ZTF data, enabling rapid multiwavelength observations that underpinned the comprehensive analysis
  • Authors recommend systematic searches with next-generation facilities such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory to discover more rare black hole–driven transients and refine stellar-evolution models