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The most likely hypothesis seems to be that there is a lot of interstellar material around the star, such that the ejecta is colliding with that and keeping it
by vikingerik 4y ago
The most likely hypothesis seems to be that there is a lot of interstellar material around the star, such that the ejecta is colliding with that and keeping it hot to keep glowing. It was a core-collapse supernova initially; the energy released from that is being absorbed and more slowly re-emitted by the thick surrounding material. (Thick in astronomical terms is still something like two hydrogen atoms per cubic meter.)
- denton-scratch 4y agoYeah, that's roughly what I figured (IANAA). But it still seems hard to explain six flashes bright enough to appear like a supernova. I'd expect the flash of any kind of supernova to be brighter than the flash of a shockwave hitting a shell of gas. But I know nothing. And anyway, for the shockwave from a supernova explosion to hit the shell of expanding gas from a previous explosion, that still seems to imply two supernova explosions from the same star. The only way I know that can happen is in a binary system.
- lazide 4y agoPerhaps it’s a hybrid? Original core collapse, then accretion of in falling material after the shock from the last explosion dissipates, causing spontaneous fusion/degeneracy again and re-explosion?