In the depths of blue supergiants protons and neutrons might be decaying into quark-gluon plasma. This may allow them to explode as a supernova and leave behind a star filled with quark matter inside.
ESA/Hubble CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The Sun is quite the ordinary star. But then we can also find stars that are extraordinary, stars that are exotic and stars so extreme you just stand in awe. And one type of such extreme stars are blue supergiants. These extremely hard and bright stars with a temperature of about 20 – 50 thousand kelvin. Their masses are around 50 solar masses and their diameter is about equal to a 1000 Suns.
When such an extreme star is dying it quite the ride. But also a mystery. Scientists have so far been unable to figure out how a blue supergiant explodes as a supernova. When they simulate such a star it collapses as a failed supernova without the spectacular effects we have grown to associate with supernovae. The problem is though, we do see such supernova explosions taking place in the universe. Thus, our simulations have to be wrong.
Experts from the Polish University of Wroclaw say that blue supergiants may explode as supernova because protons and neutrons get destroyed in their cores and exotic matter is created. Protons and neutrons are made from three quarks that are being kept together by gluons. In extreme cases, protons and neutrons may decay into an exotic matter known as quark-gluon plasma. The experts think that the destruction of protons and neutrons may provide the energy needed to create a supernova.
They also simulated many explosions of blue supergiant supernovae and another interesting finding was made. They found that so-called hybrid stars may be getting created. Hybrid stars are neutrons stars with their insides made from quark and strange quark matter.
Sources:
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0583-0
- https://www.space.com/42295-blue-supergiant-stars-supernova-quarks.html
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