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Observaciones con MUSE permiten predecir repetición única de supernova
25 de Noviembre de 2015
Los astrónomos han utilizado el instrumento Multi Unit Spectroscope Explorer (MUSE), instalado en el Very Large Telescope (VLT) de ESO, en el Observatorio Paranal, para aprovechar una oportunidad única para probar sus conocimientos acerca de los cúmulos masivos de galaxias. Están realizando, por primera vez, una predicción de un evento observable a ocurrir en el Universo distante, antes de que éste sea visible.
Las imágenes del cúmulo de galaxias denominado MACS J1149+2223, captadas por el Hubble Space Telescope de NASA/ESA en noviembre de 2014, revelaron el estallido de una estrella distante – una supernova – como ninguna antes vista. Apodada Refsdal [1], es la primera supernova que se ha dividido en cuatro imágenes separadas, a través del proceso de lentes gravitacionales, formando una Cruz de Einstein casi perfecta en torno a una de las galaxias del cúmulo.
La técnica de lentes gravitacionales es una consecuencia de la teoría de la relatividad general de Einstein. El artículo científico con las ecuaciones correspondientes a este cambio fundamental en nuestra comprensión de la gravitación, se publicó exactamente hace un siglo, el 25 de noviembre de 1915.
Se realizaron observaciones críticas de las distancias precisas a las galaxias en la región de MACS J1149+2223, utilizando el instrumento MUSE en enero de 2015. Estas han permitido a los astrónomos modelar la distribución de materia dentro del gigantesco cúmulo de galaxias con inigualada precisión. Ello ha conducido a varias predicciones de dónde y cuándo aparecerá otra imagen de esta supernova distante, lo cual equivaldría a una repetición instantánea en la pantalla más grande que se pueda imaginar.
Debido a que la luz que forma las múltiples imágenes de la supernova toma rutas de diferente longitud hacia la Tierra, ésta aparece en distintos momentos y en distintos puntos en el cielo.
Utilizando todos los datos disponibles del instrumento MUSE, en conjunto con observaciones del Hubble, un equipo de astrónomos liderados por Claudio Grillo (Dark Cosmology Centre, Instituto Niels Bohr, Universidad de Copenhagen, Dinamarca), han predicho una futura réplica, la cual llegará a su máximo brillo entre marzo y junio de 2016, con una posible primera detección a fines del 2015. Asimismo, han logrado anticipar no sólo dónde y cuándo la supernova podría ser visible nuevamente, sino también su brillo aproximado.
Actualmente, Hubble se está posicionando periódicamente hacia el cúmulo, con la esperanza de captar este evento único, sometiendo el modelo de los astrónomos a la prueba final en el proceso.
Estas observaciones ponen de realce el papel fundamental que MUSE y el VLT juegan en la exploración del Universo distante, como asimismo la sinergia entre el Hubble y los observatorios terrestres.
Notas
[1] Su nombre proviene del fallecido astrónomo noruego Sjur Refsdal, quien fuera pionero en el estudio de lentes gravitacionales.
Enlaces
- Artículo científico de Grillo et al
- Artículo científico relacionado de Jausac et al
- Artículo científico relacionado de Treu et al
- Artículo científico relacionado de Karman et al
- Artículo científico relacionado del Hubble
Contactos
Claudio Grillo
Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute
Universidad de Copenhagen, Dinamarca
Correo electrónico: grillo@dark-cosmology.dk
Piero Rosati
Department of Physics and Earth Science
Universidad de Ferrara
Correo electrónico: rosati@fe.infn.it
Richard Hook
Encargado de Prensa de ESO
Garching bei München, Alemania
Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Celular: +49 151 1537 3591
Correo electrónico: rhook@eso.org
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