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The biggest bang of them all

Bright supernova reveals secrets of star death.

Astronomers have witnessed the brightest stellar explosion ever recorded — a supernova called SN 2006gy.

Read the story here.

Posted by Nicola Jones on May 08, 2007
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If an Eta Carinae supernova render books readable at night - photons - consider neutrinos. "Only 1% of the released energy goes into kinetic energy of the ejecta, and only a small fraction of this energy is converted to electromagnetic radiation." (Science 297(5584) 1134 (2003)). The other 99+% is neutrinos - in a single brief pulse.

Neutrino conversion of Cl-37 to radioactive Ar-37 (35 day half-life) would do a cumulative pretty to oceans. Throughout the Earth's volume and the Periodic Table, plate tectonics would have a sudden new thermal source.

Posted by: Uncle Al | May 8, 2007 03:49 PM

With the possibilities of observation, by X-ray, or visual, the theory can be rethink . That is the case of black holes formation, or the elements of black energy, with H2, and about the white dwarfs itselves. And 240 millions light-years is a lot o distance from the source of the light .

Posted by: Jose Carlos | May 8, 2007 04:56 PM

In this story, the description of the suspected supernova mechanism is wrong. Photons are not "split", instead they are lost to creation of electron-positron pairs. The resulting drop in radiation pressure causes the star's core to contract and heat up. Explosive nuclear burning of oxygen and other elements results, exploding the star. Such "pair-instability supernovae" have been proposed but never before seen. This supernova might alternatively have been powered by energy extraction from a rotating black hole.

Posted by: paul smolen | May 8, 2007 08:28 PM

The ejection of mattergy is simply a continuum, any part of which is defined solely by the number of particles or individual entities within a given space. The proximity of the particles defines both the pressure and temperature in that space, and therefor the extent and power of the waft, wind, tornado, fire storm,dynamite explosion, atomic or nuclear detonation. So it is with all sources of energy we observe coming from space. The question which must be answered in this case and with Eta Carinae is - "Is this a black hole which has encountered a mass of external mattergy creating the heat and friction which caused the ejection of substantial matter prior to the supernovae and ultimately in the explosion itself, or was it a binary system with a black hole which through its radiation had finally reduced itself to the mass at which it finally could not contain itself ?"

Posted by: Raymond A. Pohl | May 9, 2007 12:18 AM

Dear Sirs,
It may be early,yet, but can any "large" particles of dust (500-5000Km)be detected in the debris? Possibly Iron,Carbon or Calcium.

Posted by: Gordon Beattie | May 9, 2007 12:39 PM

Does anyone know if there was even a tiny blip in the neutrino or gravity wave detectors??

Posted by: Allan Lindh | May 9, 2007 09:19 PM

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and solar physicists are puzzled.

Their universe is fragmenting!

In violent explosions like this, in stellar winds, in stellar storms, in gamma ray bursts, and in jets of material squirting from the polar regions of stars, neutron stars, and even supposed "black holes!"

The problem?

Nuclear physicists said that the forces between neutrons (n) and protons (p)are all attractive [n-n, n-p, and p-p], except for repulsion between positive charges (+) on p.

If true, natural processes in the cosmos should be driven by fusion, i.e., nuclear condensation.

But observations reveal the opposite -- fragmentation.

Nuclear physicists have all of the data needed to solve this paradox. No new atom smashers are required. [Not even a new grant!]

Easier yet they can simply review mass data and tell us whether they confirm or deny reports [1-4] that:

Mass data for all 3,000 known nuclides reveal attractive n-p interactions and repulsive and symmetric n-n and p-p interactions inside the nucleus, made more repulsive by interactions between the + charges on protons for the p-p interactions [1-4].

With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
www.omatumr.com

References:

1. "Attraction and repulsion of nucleons: Sources of stellar energy", J. Fusion Energy 19, 93-98 (2001); http://tinyurl.com/3c69pl

2. "Nuclear systematics: III. The source of solar luminosity", J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 252, 3-7 (2002); http://tinyurl.com/2ogm9j

3. "Neutron repulsion confirmed as energy source", J. Fusion Energy 20, 197-201 (2003); http://tinyurl.com/38un57

4. "On the cosmic nuclear cycle and the similarity of nuclei and stars", Journal of Fusion Energy 25 pp. 107-114 (2006); http://tinyurl.com/27mvlp

Posted by: Oliver K. Manuel | May 12, 2007 03:26 PM

Greetings:

Our understanding of cosmic explosions, like "The biggest bang of them all," was advanced this past week by reports from Case Western Reserve University that "black holes cannot exist."

http://tinyurl.com/24lxlq
http://tinyurl.com/2pg66j

Why? Because, as noted above, the forces that prevent massive neutron stars from collapsing are the forces that cause supernova explosions.

In more massive compact objects, these repulsive forces produce violent cosmological events (active galactic centers, quasars, and gamma ray bursts) that had been attributed to black holes before neutron repulsion was recognized.

Regarding observational evidence of black holes, the second news report notes that "No one has actually seen a black hole . . . and anything with a tremendous amount of gravity--such as the supermassive remnants of stars--could exert effects similar to those researchers have blamed on black holes."

That was also the conclusion of a paper published last year in the Journal of Fusion Energy, volume 25 (2006) pp. 107-114

http://tinyurl.com/27mvlp

The paper by physicist Tanmay Vachaspati and coworkers at Case Western Reserve University is scheduled for publication in Physical Review D.

With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
www.omatumr.com

Posted by: Oliver K. Manuel | June 24, 2007 08:32 PM

Greetings:

Our understanding of cosmic explosions, like "The biggest bang of them all," was advanced this past week by reports from Case Western Reserve University that "black holes cannot exist."

http://tinyurl.com/24lxlq
http://tinyurl.com/2pg66j

Why? Because, as noted above, the forces that prevent massive neutron stars from collapsing are the forces that cause supernova explosions.

In more massive compact objects, these repulsive forces produce violent cosmological events (active galactic centers, quasars, and gamma ray bursts) that had been attributed to black holes before neutron repulsion was recognized.

Regarding observational evidence of black holes, the second news report notes that "No one has actually seen a black hole . . . and anything with a tremendous amount of gravity--such as the supermassive remnants of stars--could exert effects similar to those researchers have blamed on black holes."

That was also the conclusion of a paper published last year in the Journal of Fusion Energy, volume 25 (2006) pp. 107-114

http://tinyurl.com/27mvlp

The paper by physicist Tanmay Vachaspati and coworkers at Case Western Reserve University is scheduled for publication in Physical Review D.

With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
www.omatumr.com

Posted by: Oliver K. Manuel | June 24, 2007 08:34 PM

CONFIRMATION OF N-N REPULSION IN HYDROGEN SEVEN

The latest Physics News Update 834 (27 July 2007) has this comment on hydrogen seven (H-7), the most neutron-rich nucleus ever made:

". . . energy is required to force the extra neutron to adhere to the other nucleons."

http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/834.html

Six years ago the stability of all nuclei, including the six hydrogen isotopes known then (H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4, H-5, and H-6), were explained in terms of three simple interactions between nucleons [J. Fusion Energy 19 (2001) 93-98]:

1. Repulsive N-N interactions
2. Attractive N-P interactions
3. Repulsive P-P interactions

http://www.omatumr.com/abstracts/jfeinterbetnuc.pdf

According to that paper, the stability of any nuclear species can be calculated by counting the number of N-N, N-P, and P-P interactions and applying these weighing factors:

The N-P attractive force is ~2.5 time stronger than the N-N repulsive force. The N-N and P-P repulsive forces are symmetric, except for additional Coulomb repulsion in P-P interactions.

There are no P-P interactions in H-7, with only one proton and six neutrons. Thus the number of interactions and their weighing factors are:

06 N-P x (~2.5) = 15 attractive units
15 N-N x (1.0) = 15 repulsive units
BINDING ENERGY = 0

Therefore to make HYDROGEN SEVEN, "energy is required to force the extra neutron to adhere to the other nucleons."

These slides from a paper presented at the Nuclear Science Research Center in Dubna, Russia provide a visual image of the importance of N-N repulsion in cosmological events like supernova explosions:

http://www.omatumr.com/Overheads/8a.pdf

http://www.omatumr.com/Overheads/9a.pdf

The newest and most neutron-rich nucleus has also confirmed that n-n interactions in the nucleus are repulsive ["Neutron repulsion confirmed as energy source", J. Fusion Energy 20 (2003) 197-201].

http://www.omatumr.com/abstracts2003/jfe-neutronrep.pdf

The first author on the new paper that is scheduled for publication in Physical Review Letters is Manuel Caamaño Fresco (caamano@ganil.fr, 33-231-45-4435).

With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
www.omatumr.com

Posted by: Oliver K. Manuel | July 31, 2007 10:48 AM

Greetings:

The likely role of n-n repulsion in cosmic explosions was further advanced last week by this comment on the discovery HYDROGEN-SEVEN (H-7) [Physics News Update 834]:

". . . energy is required to force the extra neutron to adhere to the other nucleons."

http://www.aip.org/pnu/2007/834.html

The nucleus of Hydrogen-7 contains six (6) neutrons and one (1) proton. Competition between repulsive n-n forces in H-7 are balanced by attractive n-p forces that are ~2.5 times stronger [J. Fusion Energy 19 (2001) 93-98]:

http://www.omatumr.com/abstracts/jfeinterbetnuc.pdf

(15 Repulsive n-n interactions)( 1.0) = 15 repulsive units
( 6 Attractive n-p interactions)(~2.5) = 15 attractive units
Therefore, the nuclear binding forces = 0 in H-7

Neutron repulsion explains why "energy is required to force the extra neutron to adhere to the other nucleons."

Thus, the properties of H-7 have confirmed n-n repulsion in the nucleus with the lowest known charge density (Z/A = 0.14) and advanced the case for n-n repulsion as the driving force for cosmic explosions.

The first author on the new paper that is scheduled for publication in Physical Review Letters is Manuel Caamaño Fresco (caamano@ganil.fr, 33-231-45-4435).

With kind regards,
Oliver K. Manuel
www.omatumr.com

Posted by: Oliver K. Manuel | August 4, 2007 06:13 PM

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