American scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have identified another possible cosmic event that threatens all life on Earth. We are talking about a kilonova; An explosion caused by the collision of two neutron stars. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Astrophysics.
According to calculations, the merger of neutron stars, about 36 light-years away from our planet, would release radiation strong enough for particle streams to reach Earth and cause mass extinction.
“Neutron stars can exist in binary systems, and when they merge, a rare but spectacular event occurs,” said team leader Hale Perkins.
Astronomers have determined that when a kilonova forms, narrow jets of gamma rays (called jets) will be ejected from either side of the merger, burning any living thing in its path for a distance of up to 279 light-years. However, the range of the jets is quite limited and it is unlikely that the Earth will be directly affected by them.
The jets themselves are surrounded by gamma radiation, which could affect Earth’s ozone layer if they passed at least 13 light-years from our planet. Additionally, when gamma rays come into contact with gas and dust in the interstellar medium, powerful X-rays are produced. It is much longer lasting than gamma radiation and also has the capacity to ionize the Earth’s ozone layer.
Finally, the most dangerous kilonova effect for terrestrial life is associated with the release of high-energy charged particles, also known as cosmic rays. Unlike jets, they spread in all directions like an expanding bubble. If the Earth fell into such a sphere, it would lose its ozone layer and lose its protection against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays for thousands of years.
However, such an apocalyptic scenario is only possible if the merger of neutron stars occurs very close to the Earth by cosmic standards, which is extremely unlikely. Scientists stated that asteroids and solar flares pose a major threat to humanity and life on the planet.
Previous scientists solved The mystery of mysterious radiation pulses from space.