極亮超新星(super-luminous supernova)是近年來發現的新型爆發現象,比一般超新星(supernova)亮十到百倍,但究竟是什麼物理機制造成如此璀璨的亮度,目前科學界還沒有定論。由英國貝爾法斯特女王大學(Queen’s University Belfast)領導的跨國合作團隊,認為極亮超新星的能量來源,極可能是磁星(magnetar):一種擁有強烈磁場且一秒內旋轉數百次的快速自轉中子星(neutron star)。該團隊今日在國際知名期刊《自然》(Nature)上,發表了這份重要研究。
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