Astrophysicist Charles Wong, seems to be close to the final solving the mystery of a supernova explosion. Still it was not clear what kind of process is taking place at the level of elementary particles, causing this colorful and dangerous phenomenon of nature. The scientist is convinced that the whole "big badabum" occurs because of the emergence of a scalar particle, like the Higgs boson.

It is necessary to notice that the processes, which are called by the explosion of a supernova star in the Universe occur not that very rarely. According to astrophysicists, on average, in all galaxies explodes one supernova in the year. It is believed that these explosions can be divided into two categories: supernova I and, respectively, II types.

The mechanisms of these processes is different, and the reason - too.

Supernova explosion type I occurs in stars that belong to the class of white dwarfs, which, to put it mildly, it is not dieted. Usually they are found in binary systems, and begin "plump" due to the fact that actively swallow a lot of his partner. As a result, in some point in their weight is coming close to the Chandrasekhar limit of 1.4 solar masses), followed by a rapid increase of density and temperature of a star.

While achieving the same temperature values 3·108 K starts thermonuclear reaction of the carbon-oxygen mixture, which is in the core of the star. The result from the center to the outer layers is the spread of combustion front, leaving the products of this process, that is, the nuclei of atoms of metals of the iron group. This further strengthens the fusion process (as the temperature continues to rise), and finally the star stores enough energy to reset its shell. Which is what happens at the final stage under accusing glances neighboring stars and enthusiastic shouts of astrophysicists from the third planet around a distant yellow dwarf.

But the explosion of another type is much more interesting - their causes a surplus of nuclei of heavy elements in the core of the star. This leads to increased temperature and increased compression center of the star. Eventually at some point because of the pressure it started reaction neutralizarii, that is quite normal in appearance protons begin to chase the electrons (which are not to blame), to devour them and turn into neutrons (apparently, in order to conceal the crime).

Such abnormal behavior of particles causes a rapid loss of energy - it immediately carry appeared at this disgrace neutrinos. Well, if little energy, the core of the star starts to cool down, without ceasing to shrink. These two processes are running in parallel, cause the appearance of zones of rarefied matter between the center of the star and its shell. In the end, the last rushes to the kernel (just falls on it, because nothing holds).

However, the core of a star that is opposed such treatment by his precious person, completely discards brazen shell. This process leads to a spreading out of the shock wave, initiating a nuclear fusion reaction. It releases energy, sufficient to reset shell supernovae at high speed. What actually happens is completely frightened so impolite treatment shell is reset, crushing and prieiga all nearby planet, and satisfied the core quickly change the "image", becoming a neutron star or a black hole.

Like a supernova explosion is the most common occurrence of this kind in the Universe (by the way, our Sun will ever end my days it this way). Not surprisingly, astrophysics already Large Gonzago Dog ate on the modeling of this process to ascertain the exact mechanisms. However, something in these models remains unclear. For example, what event serves as a point triggering the explosion - that is, scientists do not know what acts as the straw, which for obvious reasons I'm afraid all of camels in the world.

Previously it was thought that in the cores of massive stars thermonuclear reaction after the burning of the entire hydrogen move on helium-helium loop, and then - and those, which are born nuclei of heavier elements until the fusion of nuclei of iron and Nickel. It is from this process, the nucleus of the light received enough energy to give it a kick absolutely giving his shell. But then it turned out that none modeling, what supercomputers it conducted, it can't supply the center of the star the necessary quantity of energy. All calculations showed that leap pressure, causing an explosion of stars, have faded out on the destruction of just 300 miles from its center, and long before the star would be destroyed - that is, no explosion, in fact, will not.

At the same time, according to that which is constantly observed by astronomers, supernova explosion is an instant phenomenon. However, though the eyes of scientists with this and I agree, but that's calculations expresses its strong protest in order for this to be possible, the necessary extremely powerful burst of energy. But where then it will undertake in such quantities as the thermonuclear reaction unable to provide light so much?

However, the same calculations still gave one hint. If at least one percent of the energy neutrinos emitted in the center of a supernova, can be absorbed by the electrons from a substance star, the explosion happens. However, no single model could not explain how this energy will be transferred from neutrinos to the electron. This method is not known from the theory or experiment. Thus the mystery remained unsolved, although astrophysics and crept to the riddle is very near.

And recently, a scientist from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland) Charles Wong put forward the hypothesis that this transfer may be carried out as yet unknown particle has some similarities with the Higgs boson. Astrophysicist was very simple: it is modeled on the computer behavior of particles at the moment of take-off shell. These calculations showed that it is possible occurrence of some scalar gravitational field (that is, the field that is called a boson), and it appears exactly in the moment when the transfer of power from neutrinos to the electron.

After that the author tried to present the particle responsible for the emergence of this field, and found that its characteristics very similar to those of the Higgs boson. Well, its appearance boiling in the bowels of the stellar core is quite possible, because such bosons are born in collisions of particles with high energy such processes in supernova explosion, of course, happen. Although to say exactly what this particle such, Mr. Wang still finds it difficult. Its characteristics are, without doubt, similar to the parameters of the Higgs boson, but differences also.

So while the author is very cautious and does not intend to make sensational statements. "My theory is that scalar particle - type one of the most elementary in the Universe, similar to the Higgs boson, is involved in the processes taking place inside such stars (that is, type II supernova. - Ed.), and responsible for the extra energy that is causing the explosion of a supernova", says Professor Wong. Well, Higgs is a boson or someone else, should show further observation, experimentation and modelling.

It should be noted that the attempt to understand what exactly causes supernova explosions, is not a purely theoretical problem, exciting only astrophysicists. The fact that many studies, including experimental, showed a direct impact of these seem to be quite distant events on changes in earth's climate. So, cosmic rays, generated by explosions relatively close to us supernova, provoke formation in the earth's atmosphere, clouds and produces less heat the surface of our planet. That is such an explosion could have a good freeze the population of our planet.

So Professor Wong absolutely right in saying that "we are not able to control the explosion of a star, but if we understand the process, potentially, will be better able to predict when and where an explosion, and in the end to make predictions about how the earth's climate will change in the coming decades". But in order to learn how to make such predictions, you just need to understand that small particle starts this process, on which depend the fate of many of the giants...