Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
this yr.

Massive Stars Can Collapse Into Black Holes Without Exploding

New research on the binary star system VFTS 243 reveals that some stars may vanish quietly, becoming black holes without the expected supernova explosion.

(Credit: Getty Images)
An artist’s impression of the binary system VFTS 243
This artist’s impression shows a possible seed for the formation of a supermassive black hole. Two of these possible seeds were discovered by an Italian team, using three space telescopes: the NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, and the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope.

Overview

  • Scientists studied VFTS 243, a binary system with a massive star and a black hole, to understand the phenomenon of disappearing stars.
  • The research suggests that very massive stars can undergo complete collapse due to their gravitational pull, avoiding a supernova explosion.
  • Observations showed no signs of a supernova, such as a 'natal kick' or asymmetrical orbit, supporting the theory of a quiet collapse.
  • The findings challenge traditional models of stellar evolution and have implications for our understanding of element formation in the universe.
  • VFTS 243 serves as a benchmark for future studies on stellar evolution and black hole formation.