(https://www.space.com/mini-supernova-shock-waves-lab.html)
>Researchers have created a miniature version of supernova shock waves in a lab here on Earth to solve a long-standing cosmic mystery.
When stars die and explode in supernovas, they create shock waves that emanate across the surrounding plasma. These powerful shock waves blast out cosmic rays, or highly energetic particles, out into the universe. The waves act almost like particle accelerators, pushing these particles out so fast that they approach the speed of light. However, scientists have yet to fully understand exactly how and why the shock waves accelerate these particles.
>"These are fascinating systems, but because they are so far away it's hard to study them," Frederico Fiuza, a senior staff scientist at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, who led the new study, said in a statement.
>"We are not trying to make supernova remnants in the lab, but we can learn more about the physics of astrophysical shocks there and validate models," Fiuza said in the statement.
By studying a miniature analog of the cosmic phenomenon here on Earth, the researchers verified that the shock was capable of accelerating electrons to nearly the speed of light. However, the mystery of exactly how these electrons reached such speeds remains, which prompted the scientists to turn to computer modeling.
>"We can't see the details of how particles get their energy even in the experiments, let alone in astrophysical observations, and this is where the simulations really come into play," Anna Grassi, a co-author on the new research also at SLAC, said in the same statement.
Now, while the cosmic mystery of the shock wave accelerated particles remains, computer models created by Grassi revealed one possible solution. According to these models, Grassi developed, turbulent electromagnetic fields within the shock wave could accelerate electrons to the speeds observed.
>Researchers have created a miniature version of supernova shock waves in a lab here on Earth to solve a long-standing cosmic mystery.
When stars die and explode in supernovas, they create shock waves that emanate across the surrounding plasma. These powerful shock waves blast out cosmic rays, or highly energetic particles, out into the universe. The waves act almost like particle accelerators, pushing these particles out so fast that they approach the speed of light. However, scientists have yet to fully understand exactly how and why the shock waves accelerate these particles.
>"These are fascinating systems, but because they are so far away it's hard to study them," Frederico Fiuza, a senior staff scientist at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, who led the new study, said in a statement.
>"We are not trying to make supernova remnants in the lab, but we can learn more about the physics of astrophysical shocks there and validate models," Fiuza said in the statement.
By studying a miniature analog of the cosmic phenomenon here on Earth, the researchers verified that the shock was capable of accelerating electrons to nearly the speed of light. However, the mystery of exactly how these electrons reached such speeds remains, which prompted the scientists to turn to computer modeling.
>"We can't see the details of how particles get their energy even in the experiments, let alone in astrophysical observations, and this is where the simulations really come into play," Anna Grassi, a co-author on the new research also at SLAC, said in the same statement.
Now, while the cosmic mystery of the shock wave accelerated particles remains, computer models created by Grassi revealed one possible solution. According to these models, Grassi developed, turbulent electromagnetic fields within the shock wave could accelerate electrons to the speeds observed.
