Could Sirius A/B go supernova?

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In summary: Does anyone know where Sirius B is right now in relation to Sirius A? Is B at present visibly orbiting away from A? Or is it eclipsing, or headed into A?Sirius B is currently located about 20au from Sirius A, which would make it difficult for material to be drawn from A to B to cause a supernova. If Sirius B were to fall into Sirius A, there would likely not be a supernova as the two stars are too far apart.
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Mike2
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I understand that main sequence/white-dwarf binary systems are the cause of type Ia supernovae. Is it possible that the Sirius A/B system could go supernova? The white dwarf, Sirius B, is an unusually large dwarf, about 1 solar-mass. While Sirius A is a 2.1 solar-mass main sequence star. The orbital radius is rather large, about 20au. So it seems there would be no ability of material to be sucked from A to B to make it go supernova. But some seem to think that there is another body in orbit with them that has perturbed Sirius B in the past. What would happen if this caused Sirius B to fall into Sirius A? Would there be a supernova in that case? Thanks.
 
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  • #2
Interesting question. Here is a discussion on the subject.

What are the progenitors of the supernova type 1A explosion?
http://www.astro.rug.nl/~onderwys/ACTUEELONDERZOEK/JAAR2001/jakob/aozindex.html
 
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  • #3
Astronuc said:
Interesting question. Here is a discussion on the subject.

What are the progenitors of the supernova type 1A explosion?
http://www.astro.rug.nl/~onderwys/ACTUEELONDERZOEK/JAAR2001/jakob/aozindex.html

Does anyone know where Sirius B is right now in relation to Sirius A? Is B at present visibly orbiting away from A? Or is it eclipsing, or headed into A? Thanks.
 
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  • #4
I'm sure someone has a model or simulation of the Sirius binary system. It certainly is getting a lot of attention. Somewhere I read a comment that the Sirius binary system is surrounded by an Oort-type cloud system, so presumably there are nearby masses which perturb the orbits of the stars.

Meanwhile -

http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/faculty/quyen/node1.html

http://www.star.le.ac.uk/wd/wd/current.shtml
 
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  • #5
Unlikely Sirius B will go SNIa. SN1a's progenitor stars are believed to be white dwarfs - which Sirius B is. The fuel source is believed to be a red giant companion star - which Sirius A is not. Albeit Sirius A will likely [not soon enough to worry about] evolve into one. The other factor is distance. It appears Sirius B is too distant from its future RG companion to accrete mass in the manner believed necessary to put on a really big show:

http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/ask/a11207.html
 

Related to Could Sirius A/B go supernova?

1. Could Sirius A/B actually go supernova?

There is a very low chance that Sirius A or B could go supernova. Based on current scientific understanding, it is estimated that Sirius A has a 10% chance of going supernova in the next million years, and Sirius B has a 1% chance in the next billion years. However, these estimations could change as more data is collected and analyzed.

2. What is the likelihood of Earth being affected if Sirius A/B goes supernova?

The likelihood of Earth being directly affected by a supernova from Sirius A or B is very low, as the stars are located about 8.6 light years away. However, the supernova could still have some indirect effects, such as disrupting the Earth's magnetic field or causing an increase in cosmic rays, but these effects would likely be minor.

3. How would a supernova from Sirius A/B impact our solar system?

If Sirius A or B were to go supernova, it would not have a major impact on our solar system. The closest star to our Sun is Proxima Centauri, which is about 4.2 light years away. This is still much farther than the distance between Sirius and our Sun. Therefore, any potential effects, such as an increase in cosmic rays, would be minimal.

4. Are there any signs that Sirius A/B could go supernova soon?

Currently, there are no signs that Sirius A or B will go supernova in the near future. Supernovae are difficult to predict, and scientists are constantly monitoring stars for any signs of potential supernova events. However, based on current observations, it is unlikely that Sirius A or B will go supernova in the near future.

5. Would a supernova from Sirius A/B have any impact on other stars in our galaxy?

A supernova from Sirius A or B would have minimal impact on other stars in our galaxy. While the explosion would release a large amount of energy and matter, it would quickly dissipate and not cause any significant effects on neighboring stars. The closest star to Sirius is Procyon, which is about 10.3 light years away, and it would not be affected by a supernova from Sirius A or B.

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