Scientists led by University of Maryland astronomer Igor Andreoni have uncovered a highly uncommon gravitationally lensed supernova known as 'SN Zwicky'. Situated over 4 billion light years away, the supernova was intensified by approximately 25 times due to a foreground galaxy acting as a lens.
As SciTech Daily reported, this discovery offers astronomers a rare chance to gain insights into the inner workings of galaxies, dark matter, and the mechanisms governing the expansion of the universe. The team's findings, encompassing an extensive analysis, spectroscopic data, and imaging of SN Zwicky, were published in the journal Nature Astronomy on June 12, 2023.
'Exceptionally Rare' Discovery
Albert Einstein's theory of relativity proposes that spacetime is a fusion of time and space. Massive objects, such as galaxies, can curve spacetime, leading to gravitational lensing. This phenomenon acts like a magnifying lens, bending light and enabling scientists to observe distant and faint objects that would otherwise be invisible.
Caltech's Christoffer Fremling said in a news release that the discovery of the gravitationally lensed SN Zwicky is considered exceptionally rare, surprising the scientists involved due to the scarcity of such phenomena.
The supernova, classified as a type Ia resulting from the explosion of a white dwarf star, occurred over four billion light-years away. As its light traveled towards Earth, it passed through a galaxy located 2.5 billion light-years away, causing the lensing effect.
According to Space.com, SN Zwicky was initially detected by Caltech's Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) at Palomar Observatory on August 21, 2022. Led by Ariel Goobar of Stockholm University, a comprehensive study of the supernova was conducted using various telescopes, including the W. M. Keck Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and others.
The research team observed that the four images of the supernova, distorted by the gravitational lens, exhibited varying levels of brightness. This disparity suggests that additional microlensing events within the lensing galaxy may have further amplified the brightness of the supernova in two of the images.
In the case of the gravitationally lensed supernova SN Zwicky, astronomers believe that the additional microlensing effects caused by smaller gravitational lenses could provide insights into the distribution of masses in the core of the lensing galaxy. This could shed light on the formation of a larger number of massive stars in the central regions of galaxies.
Supernova Unveils New Avenues of Research
Astronomer Igor Andreoni explains that SN Zwicky's magnification by a gravitational lens and its classification as a 'standard candle' supernova provide a powerful tool for measuring cosmic distances, Phys.org reported.
Additionally, the discovery presents opportunities to study galaxies, including probing the enigmatic dark matter that constitutes a significant portion of the universe. Lensed supernovae like SN Zwicky also hold promise for investigating dark energy and refining models of the universe's expansion, such as the calculation of the Hubble constant.
The success of the research team in identifying and analyzing SN Zwicky marks the beginning of a journey that will be further enhanced by the forthcoming Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile. Set to commence full operations in 2024, the observatory's comprehensive sky surveys will expand our knowledge of supernovae, asteroids, and other transient celestial events.
Andreoni anticipates that this broad, untargeted approach will lead to more breakthroughs, increasing our understanding of the ever-evolving sky with unprecedented depth and opening avenues for further exploration.
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