A novel simulation challenges the elbow room we picture one of the most illustrious stars in the dark sky . Betelgeuse is among the top 20 bright star ( although occasionallyit is not ) and is a cherry-red supergiant , the last point of stellar organic evolution top into a supernova . We ordinarily project sensation as prominent plasma balls – but a new simulation show that when we get to the red supergiant , that position is not correct .
Betelgeuse is tremendous compared to the Sun . Its wheel spoke is at least 640 times the solar wheel spoke but might get to a bit over 1,000 times – If post in the solar system , it would stretch along past the arena of Jupiter . A few hundred million suns would fit in that volume , but it has a heap of about 15 suns , which suggests an extremely low density in the outer layers .
Betelgeuseis around 500 light - years away from us , close enough in cosmic terms that we can see features on its surface . Those feature could intimate two things : Either that the star is rapidly rotate , or that its aerofoil is speedily changing . Both are valid and possible , but each requires something more . If gyration is correct , then that something extra is cannibalism .
“ Most star topology are just tiny points of light in the dark sky . Betelgeuse is so incredibly large and nearby that , with the very best telescopes , it is one of the very few wizard where we in reality discover and study its simmering surface . It still feels a moment like a Science Fiction movie , as if we have journey there to see it up close , ” study joint author Selma de Mink , theatre director at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics , said in astatement . “ And the results are so exciting . If Betelgeuse is rapidly rotating after all , then we think it must have been spun up after eatinga pocket-sized companion starthat was orbiting it . ”
The other rendition is that convection – just like the boiling water in apastapot – create house of cards of blood plasma as orotund as Earth ’s full electron orbit that come up and go down extremely tight . The airfoil of crimson supergiants should be change perpetually , but in the simulated scenarios , the bubble need to move at about 30 kilometer ( 19 miles ) per secondly . The simulation indicate that the boiling plasma scenario can explicate the apparent fast revolution of the star in about 90 percent of modeled scenarios . More data is necessary to understand if this is indeed the case .
Some of the data point pick up by the ALMA ( Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array ) in 2022 is now being canvas to help provide more clarity . The model also appropriate prediction about future observations and that ’s challenging . Currently , Betelgeuse isdimming again , potential one of its periodic change in luminance .
“ There is so much we still do n’t understand about gigantic boiling asterisk like Betelgeuse , ” added co - author Andrea Chiavassa , an astronomer at CNRS . “ How do they really mold ? How do they mislay mass ? What molecules can imprint in their outflows ? Why did Betelgeuse abruptly get less bright ? We are working very hard to make our information processing system simulations better and near , but we really need the unbelievable data point from scope like ALMA . ”
The paper reporting the finding is published inThe Astrophysical Journal Letters .
