Physicists simulate the consequences of a supernova explosion using foam

The scientists used a foam ball to simulate the effects of shock waves frombang

The researchers placed this supernova on dense regions within the molecular cloud.Sharv chamber filled with gas and irradiated it with a powerful laser simulating blast waves.The compression of the ball under the impact was recorded using X-rays.

Molecular clouds are clustersgas and dust in space. Astrophysicists note that under normal conditions, such clouds remain in a state of equilibrium. However, under the influence of external factors, such as a supernova explosion, peace is disturbed. The propagation of a shock wave through dust and gas forms regions of dense material. Under certain conditions, compressed gas collapses, which triggers the process of star formation.

“We are looking at the beginning of an interaction,” says Bruno Albertazzi, co-author of the study. “This allows us to understand whether the average density of the foam will increase and whether star formation will become easier.”

Illustration of the evolution of a gas cloud. Source: Albertazzi et al., Matter and Radiation at Extremes

Scientists have found that under the influence of an explosionpart of the foam was compressed, part of it was also stretched. They evaluated the changes in the average density of the material. In future work, astrophysicists plan to investigate the influence of radiation, magnetic field and turbulence on star formation.

According to the researchers, the mechanisms by which star formation is triggered are interesting for many reasons.They help to understand the rate of change and evolution of the galaxy, explain the formation of the most massive stars and the history of the development of our solar system.

However, according to the authors of the work, astronomicalobservations do not have a sufficiently high spatial resolution to observe these processes, and numerical simulations cannot cope with the complexity of the interaction between clouds and supernova remnants.

"Our molecular cloud, in whichThe sun was most likely created by supernova remnants, said author Albertazzi. “This experiment opens up a new and promising path for laboratory astrophysics to understand key processes.”

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