Prediction of the formation of a new star

Astrophysicist João Alves, director of the Calar Alto Observatory in Almeria, and his colleague Anderas Bürkert, from the German Observatory at the University of Munich, believes' the inevitable future of Barnard's alright cloud 68 'that is collapsing and forming a new star, according to an article published in The Astrophysical Journal.

A study by two astronomers from the Calar Alto Observatory at America and the Observatory at the University of Munich predicts that the dark nebula Barnard 68 will become a bright star in the next 200,000 years.(Photo: FECYT - Spain Science and Technology Fund).

Barnard 68 (B68) is a dark nebula located in the constellation Ofiuco, about 400 light-years away. Nebulae are clouds of dust and gas between stars located in the Milky Way galaxy, and some are called 'dark nebulae', their shadows obscure the light of stars and objects behind. Scientists believe that stars are formed inside the nebula. The most popular astronomical theory is that they formed from the collapse of giant gas clusters, until a time when high temperatures and densities led to nuclear fusion forming a star. This is a widely accepted theory in the astronomical community, although many details of this process are still unknown. New research may bring some new insights into this process.

Astrophysicists Alves and Bürkert said that the collision of two gas clouds could be the mechanism that stimulates the formation of a star. For Barnard 68, they think that this cloud is in a state of instability, and it will collapse 'soon' - over the next 200,000 years.

The photographs show that B68 is a cold gas cloud with the same mass as the two suns, but there is another cloud, 10 times smaller than it (equal to 0.2 solar mass), approaching and about to collide with B68.

To prove their theory, two astrophysicists have simulated this theory on a supercomputer at the University of Munich. Based on theoretical models, they introduced data relating to two clouds separated by one light-year, with mass and speed comparable to the Barnard 68 nebula and the nearby smaller cloud. By using arithmetic algorithms, researchers have described the development of these two virtual clouds over time.

The sun will have new neighbors

The results show that the smaller cloud will penetrate the larger cloud after 1.7 million years at a speed of 370 meters per second. The model also shows that the stability of the initial situation decreases with time. At the time these two blocks were combined, huge concentrations were created, causing the whole system to collapse and creating the necessary conditions for the formation of a star.

The researchers performed many simulations, with different physical parameters of the two cloud masses, until they reached the situation where the reaction of the two gas clouds led to their collapse. According to Bürkert and Alves's calculations, a new star will form within 200,000 years, not far from the solar system, with the possibility that planets will form around it.

Refer:
Burkert et al.Lỗi không hợp lệ của Starless Core Barnard 68. The Astrophysical Journal, 2009;695 (2): 1308 DOI: 10.1088 / 0004-637X / 695/2/1308