Supernova Exhaled Carbon Monoxide ⚡ экспресс
We present optical and near-infrared observations of the type Ib supernova SN 2024rbc. For the first time in this supernova type, the first overtone of CO in the 2.3–2.4 µm range was detected against a dust continuum 62 days after explosion; the band is broad, without distinct peaks. LTE modeling yields a CO mass of (5.2±1.2)×10⁻⁴ M⊙, a temperature of 4040±435 K, and a velocity of 5905±1960 km/s. The dust continuum is described by a modified blackbody with a temperature of 910±10 K and a mass of (1.3±0.1)×10⁻³ M⊙. Spectra exhibit strong He I lines and abundant metal lines; light curves modeled with the STELLA code indicate 0.07 M⊙ of Ni-56 and 1.7 M⊙ of ejecta. The implications of these results for understanding dust formation in the early Universe are discussed.
When a massive star runs out of fuel, it sheds its hydrogen envelope and explodes—like a final, desperate exhale. That’s exactly the kind of supernova (type Ib) astronomers observed. 62 days after the blast, in the cooling debris, they caught a faint infrared glow: it turned out to be the signature of carbon monoxide (CO). The material was hurtling at a terrifying 6,000 kilometers per second—fast enough to cover the Earth–Moon distance twenty times in an instant. Because of this speed, its spectroscopic fingerprint was blurred into a broad hump. Around it, cosmic dust glowed at 637°C, and helium lines confirmed the explosion’s class.
The breath of dying stars—that's what the world is made of.
🎯 The amount of carbon monoxide in SN 2024rbc is so vast that its mass exceeds the weight of Earth's entire atmosphere by billions of times. Yet compared to the star's mass, it's just a trace impurity.
🎬 The phrase 'we are all made of stardust' is not just a metaphor. In the movie 'Interstellar,' this idea resonates with particular poignancy.