一个“绿色怪物”潜伏在恒星残骸中
X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScl; IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScl/Milisavljevic et al., NASA/JPL/CalTech; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and K. Arcand
For the first time, astronomers have combined data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope to study the well-known supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A). This work has helped explain an unusual structure in the debris from the destroyed star called the “Green Monster,” because of its resemblance to the wall in the left field of Fenway Park.
By combining the Webb data with X-rays from Chandra, researchers have concluded that the Green Monster was created by a blast wave from the exploded star slamming into material surrounding it. Detailed analysis found that filaments in the outer part of Cas A, from the blast wave, closely matched the X-ray properties of the Green Monster, including less iron and silicon than in the supernova debris. This interpretation is apparent from the color Chandra image, which shows that the colors inside the Green Monster’s outline best match with the colors of the blast wave rather than the debris with iron and silicon.
Learn more about the Green Monster.
X射线：NASA/CXC/SAO; 可见光：NASA/ESA/STScl; 红外光：NASA/ESA/CSA/STScl/Milisavljevic et al., NASA/JPL/CalTech; 影像处理：NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and K. Arcand
天文学家首次将NASA钱德拉X射线天文台和詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜的数据结合起来，研究了著名的超新星遗迹仙后座A。这项工作有助于解释被摧毁的恒星残骸中一种不寻常的结构，这种结构被称为“绿色怪物”，因为它与芬威公园左外场的墙壁相似。
通过将韦伯的数据与钱德拉的X射线相结合，研究人员得出结论，绿色怪物是由爆炸恒星的冲击波撞击周围物质产生的。详细的分析发现，来自冲击波的仙后座A外部的细丝与绿色怪物的x射线特性非常吻合，包括比超新星残骸更少的铁和硅。这种解释从彩色钱德拉图像中显而易见，它显示绿色怪物轮廓内部的颜色最符合爆炸波的颜色，而不是铁和硅碎片的颜色。