Thursday 2 November 2023 / 21:11
A new study warns that a rare and mysterious type of cosmic explosion called a kilonova could wipe out life on Earth for thousands of years.
According to scientists from the University of Illinois, this explosion occurs when two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole, collide and merge, resulting in a gamma ray burst that lasts only a few seconds.
Hayley Perkins, from the University of Illinois, said: “We found that if a neutron star merger occurred about 36 light-years from Earth, the resulting radiation could cause a catastrophic event that causes the extinction of life on Earth.”
It is important to note that the risk of such an explosion occurring within that distance is very low, as the nearest known neutron star is located more than 400 light-years from our planet.
But scientists say that the reason behind the danger of this explosion to life on Earth is that the type of radiation caused by gamma rays carries enough energy to strip atoms of electrons in a process called ionization. Once the rays reach us, they can destroy the Earth’s ozone layer and expose us to lethal doses of ultraviolet radiation from the sun for thousands of years.
Researchers from the University of Warwick revealed this week that they were able to use NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to analyze a kilonova for the first time. This allowed them to study the heavy elements produced by the explosion.
In addition to the risk of stripping our planet of its atmosphere, experts have found that gamma-ray bursts coming from neutron star mergers have the potential to destroy anything in their path within 297 light-years.
Another risk associated with kilonovas is the harmful effect caused by gamma ray jets. As they move through space, they collide with the gas and dust surrounding stars, which in turn generates powerful X-ray emissions, called X-ray afterglows.
The researchers who conducted the new study said that such radiation lasts longer than gamma ray emissions, and it also has the potential to damage the Earth’s ozone layer.
The researchers stressed that the merger of neutron stars is extremely rare, and this means that extinction caused by the merger of a binary neutron star should not be a source of concern for people on Earth, according to the newspaper. Daily Mail British.
