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For the first time, astronomers have detected the trace of a rare radioactivity. a molecule that does not exist on Earth, reports Phys.org .
The molecule in question, 26-aluminum monofluoride (26AlF), is a radioactive isotope of aluminum bound to fluorine atoms and has been found outside the borders of our solar system, throughout the constellation Vulpecula ("The little fox") some 2000 light years from our planet.
While scientists have long suspected that this isotope of unstable aluminum exists in large quantities in our galaxy – so abundant, in fact, that it could be quantified at about twice the mass of our sun – This is the first time that a molecule containing 26Al has ever been detected outside of our solar system, notes the media, citing the Nationa Radioastronomy Observatory
The discovery was made by a team International Astronomers from three continents, who published their results on July 30 in the journal Nature Astronomy .
In addition to spotting the unique spectral signature of these molecules in the space, scientists, from the United States, Australia and three European countries, also managed to observe the active source of the Radioactive isotope of aluminum – another "incredible first", according to Space. "The first solid detection of this type of radioactive molecule is an important step in our exploration of the molecular universe," said lead author of the study, Tomasz Kamiński, astronomer of the Harvard Center. Smithsonian for Astrophysics. in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
A radioactive molecule is detected in space – an incredible first! https://t.co/EfzojSDnhS pic.twitter.com/jkh61P8fH0
– SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) July 30, 2018
The source of 26Al has been traced to a red nova known as CK Vulpeculae or CK Vulvesse of a stellar explosion caused by the fusion of two sun – like stars.
Red Nova was first seen nearly 350 years ago. The sky in 17th century Europe, says the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy.
But it was only in 2013, when astronomers led by Kamiński studied the stellar rest with radio telescopes, that they were able to identify the red nova as a source of light. radioactive isotope of aluminum
Pair of collisions #stars radioactive spill #molecules in space @NatureAstronomy https: / /t.co/ KrenHj0kkk
– Phys.org (@physorg_com) July 30, 2018
After Space.com a red nova is formed when two low stars mass collide in an explosive fusion, producing a burst of cosmic light, then cool down and begin to emit large amounts of molecular gas and dust.
It was in this molecular gas, the debris around CK Vul, that the team captured the signature of the radioactive molecule 26AlF, more than 300 years after the two stars crashed. 39, one in the other and shredded in a violent explosion.
Commenting on the discovery, Kamiński has more lyrical twist on the celestial event that allowed his team to make its amazing breakthrough.
"We observe the guts of a star torn three centuries ago by a collision: how cool is that?"
Observations were made possible thanks to the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope ( APEX) in the Atacama Desert in Chile and the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) of the Institute of Radio Astronomy Millimeter (IRAM), Kamiński mentioned in a comment Nature Astronomy published in side of the study.
Under normal circumstances, chemical molecules are detected in space after scientists have observed their molecular fingerprint in laboratory experiments. telescopes. However, as 26Al can not be found on Earth, the team relied on a more stable aluminum isotope, 27Al, and used the fingerprint of 27AlF molecules to glean the data needed for the rare 26AlF molecules.
EurekAlert (press release) Pair of colliding stars pour radioactive molecules into space EurekAlert (press release) About 348 years after this event, an international team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array … https://t.co/qCoVl2Gaaq pic.twitter .com [/ html]
– Hurshal (@Hurshal) July 30, 2018
In addition to finding the radioactive isotope of aluminum in the red nova, astronomers were also able to discover some details on the for example, they discovered that one of these stars of Low mass was a red giant weighing between 0.8 and 2.5 solar masses. The study also revealed that stellar collisions, like the red nova studied, can expose even the deepest layers of a star, where heavy elements and radioactive isotopes are forged, and spit them into the atmosphere. # 39; space.
The isotope in a stellar object is also important in the broader context of galactic chemical evolution, "Kamiński said.
Although his team has identified a significant amount of 26Al in CK Vul, it is not enough to consider all the radioactive elements. isotopic molecules believed to exist in the Milky Way. Therefore, astronomers speculate that there could be other sources 26Al in the space, waiting to be discovered.
"The observation can be a springboard for the unambiguous identification of other galactic sources of 26Al," the authors write in their article.
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