Astronomers have, for the first time, observed the formation of a magnetar during a supernova explosion. This discovery supports the hypothesis that unusually bright supernovae receive additional energy from magnetars.

The Magnetar Formation Process

At the end of the life cycle of massive stars, a powerful explosion occurs—a supernova. As a result, the star’s outer layers are blown away, while the core collapses, forming a neutron star. A magnetar is a type of neutron star with an extremely strong magnetic field, a high rotation speed (sometimes exceeding 1,000 revolutions per second), and a significant release of energy into the surrounding space.

Connection with Bright Supernovae

Superluminous supernovae were first discovered in the early 2000s. These explosions are more than ten times brighter than typical supernovae and last significantly longer. In 2010, a theory was proposed suggesting that when a massive star collapses, its core forms a rapidly spinning magnetar. The resulting magnetic field accelerates particles, which then collide with the supernova’s remnants, reheating them and making the explosion brighter and longer-lasting.

Observations of SN 2024afav

The brightness of supernova SN 2024afav was monitored by telescopes for over 200 days. During this period, four distinct brightness surges were recorded, each with increasing amplitude and shorter intervals between them. This phenomenon has been termed a “chirp.”

The Chirp Mechanism

After the explosion and the formation of a magnetar, some debris falls back toward it, forming a rotating ring—an accretion disk. This disk is misaligned with the magnetar’s rotation axis, leading to changes in inertial reference frames as described by general relativity. As the disk moves closer to the magnetar, the frequency of the chirp increases.

Prospects for Further Research

In the future, the Vera Rubin Observatory plans to conduct new surveys to search for supernovae exhibiting the chirp effect. This could help discover new young magnetars and deepen our understanding of the processes occurring during supernova explosions.