Physicists Create A Supernova In A Jar
Saturday, December 4, 2010 - 12:40
in Astronomy & Space
If you are unaware, a supernova is an exploding star. In certain types of supernovae, the detonation starts with a flame ball buried deep inside a white dwarf and the flame ball is much lighter than its surroundings, so it rises rapidly making a plume topped with an accelerating smoke ring. A team of physicists have mimicked this type explosion of a supernova in miniature. “We created a smaller version of this process by triggering a special chemical reaction in a closed container that generates similar plumes and vortex rings,” says Stephen Morris, a University of Toronto physics professor. read more