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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Sounds of Star Death Near Middle C

Date Released: Friday, January 27, 2006
Source: University of Arizona



By Lori Stiles

Scientists have made the astonishing discovery that sound might drive supernovae explosions. Their computer simulations say that dying stars pulse at audible frequencies -- for instance, at about the F-note above middle C -- for a split second before they blow up.

Researchers in the 1960s began using computer models to test ideas about what, exactly, causes stars to explode. But mathematical simulations have so far failed to satisfactorily explain the inner workings of nature's most spectacular blasts.

Our simulations show that the inner core starts to execute pulsations," Burrows said. "And they allow us to follow the development to explosion for a longer time than other models do. They show that after about 500 milliseconds, the inner core begins to vibrate wildly. And after 600, 700 or 800 milliseconds, this oscillation becomes so vigorous that it sends out sound waves. In these computer runs, it's these sound waves that actually cause the star to explode, not the neutrinos."

Full story here: www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=18862

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I say...if you hear a Middle C note....run!...

[Maddad]

A correlation is not necessarily a cause and effect relationship. I would expect that the vibrations are an effect of the impending collapse, rather than the collapse being caused by the vibration.