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Zombie Star's Heart Laid Bare by Researchers

Astronomers Peer Inside the Core of a Dying Star

New Findings Shed Light on Stellar Evolution

In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have peered into the heart of a zombie star, revealing unprecedented insights into the final stages of stellar evolution. The research team, led by Dr. Emily Levesque of the University of Washington, used the Hubble Space Telescope to study the core of a white dwarf, a type of dead star that has shed its outer layers.

White dwarfs are the final evolutionary stage for most stars, including our own Sun. As a star burns through its nuclear fuel, it eventually expands into a red giant, shedding its outer layers to form a white dwarf. These dense, compact objects are typically only about the size of Earth, but they contain a mass comparable to the Sun.

The white dwarf studied by Levesque's team is known as WD 0501-0237. It is located about 100 light-years from Earth in the constellation Pisces. Using Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) instrument, the researchers were able to measure the temperature and composition of the white dwarf's core.

The team found that WD 0501-0237 has a carbon-rich core, which is unusual for white dwarfs. Most white dwarfs have helium-rich cores, which is what is expected for stars that have burned through their nuclear fuel. However, the carbon-rich core of WD 0501-0237 suggests that it may have undergone a different evolutionary path.

One possibility is that WD 0501-0237 is the result of a merger between two white dwarfs. When two white dwarfs collide, they can form a single, more massive white dwarf. This process can lead to the formation of a carbon-rich core, which is what Levesque's team observed in WD 0501-0237.

The findings of Levesque's team provide new insights into the final stages of stellar evolution. By studying the core of a zombie star, the researchers have gained a better understanding of the different evolutionary paths that stars can take.

Key Findings:

Astronomers have peered into the core of a white dwarf, a type of dead star.
The white dwarf studied has a carbon-rich core, which is unusual for white dwarfs.
The findings suggest that the white dwarf may have undergone a different evolutionary path, such as a merger between two white dwarfs.

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