Most massive stars and some less massive stars in close binary systems end their lives in giant explosions, so-called supernovae. A supernova is seen as a new star in a distant galaxy, which first becomes brighter for a few weeks and then slowly fades. Remnants of previous supernovae can be seen in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies.
The Department of Astronomy studies these and other cosmic explosions such as gamma-ray bursts and kilonovas, both through numerical simulations and via observations with different telescopes that are sensitive in different wavelength ranges. A fundamental question is which heavier elements are created in these explosions. We also investigate the mechanisms behind their brightness.
