White dwarfs are the dense remnants of stars and operate as cosmic labs for astronomers. When these white dwarfs collect enough material from a companion star, they can explode as a Type Ia supernova giving off uniform and measurable brightnesses which astronomers can use to determine distance. Dr. Junhyuk Son and collaborators at Yonsei University, South Korea in a recent paper studied a young type Ia supernova that was fainter than older ones, appearing farther away than expected. These new findings along with future measurements could influence how we calculate dark energy, cosmic distances, and the expansion of the universe.
Join us this week as Mike reviews new white dwarf measurements that could change our understanding of the universe.
If you have questions you would like answered on Astro Brief, email them to Dr. Mike Reed at mikereed@missouristate.edu.
Astro Brief is a collaboration between KSMU, the Missouri Space Grant, and MSU's Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science. Hosted by Dr. Mike Reed, Astro Brief focuses on astronomical events, the field of astronomy, and astronomy-related guests. It airs Thursdays at 9:45 am on KSMU.