DEM L241: Hardy Star Survives Supernova Blast.
Astronomers have found evidence for a companion star that survived the blast of a supernova explosion.
Chandra’s X-rays reveal a point-like source within the debris field produced when a massive star exploded.
This system contains either a neutron star or black hole and a surviving massive star.
The supernova remnant is called DEM L241 and is found in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small neighboring galaxy to the Milky Way.
When a massive star runs out fuel, it collapses and explodes as a supernova. Although these explosions are extremely powerful, it is possible for a companion star to endure the blast. A team of astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes has found evidence for one of these survivors.
This hardy star is in a stellar explosion’s debris field – also called its supernova remnant – located in an HII region called DEM L241. An HII (pronounced “H-two”) region is created when the radiation from hot, young stars strips away the electrons from neutral hydrogen atoms (HI) to form clouds of ionized hydrogen (HII). This HII region is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small companion galaxy to the Milky Way.
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