Astronomers believe at least two supernova explosions produced supernova remnant 30 Doradas B

30 Doradus B is part of a large star-forming region where stars have been forming continuously over the past 8 to 10 million years.

It is located 160,000 light-years from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a complex landscape of dark clouds of gas, young stars, high-energy shocks, and superheated gas.

In a new study, astronomer Weian Chen of National Taiwan University and his colleagues used 30 high-resolution images of the Doradas B type from several telescopes on the ground and in space, including NASA/ESA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder. The resolution multi-wavelength images were analyzed. , NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Researchers detected a faint X-ray shell about 130 light-years in diameter.

Chandra's data also revealed that 30 Doradas B contains a wind of particles blown away from the pulsar, forming what is known as a pulsar wind nebula.

Combining data from Hubble and other telescopes, researchers determined that a single supernova explosion could not explain what they were seeing.

Both the pulsar and the bright X-rays seen at the center of Doradas 30 B may have resulted from a supernova explosion after the collapse of a massive star about 5,000 years ago.

But the larger, dimmer X-ray shell is too large to have come from the same supernova.

“Rather, we believe that at least two supernova explosions occurred in Doradas 30 B, using X-ray shells produced by another supernova more than 5,000 years ago,” the scientists said.

“It's quite possible that more has happened in the past.”

“These results will help us learn more about the lives of massive stars and the effects of supernova explosions.”

a paper Regarding the survey results, astronomy magazine.

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Chen Weian other. 2023. New insights about 30 Dor B revealed by high-quality multiwavelength observations. A.J. 166, 204; doi: 10.3847/1538-3881/acff72