That information should reveal the mass and orbits of R Sculptoris and its companion star, providing more exact information about what happens to red giants during and after their thermal pulses.

"This will allow us to understand late stellar evolution better, and where and how the material for new stars is created," Maercker said.

• Building ALMA: Earth's Largest Radio Telescope
• Earth to Be Consumed By Red Giant Star (In 5B Years)
• Top 10 Star Mysteries

Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

4 Comments

1. 1. jtdwyer 07:37 PM 10/11/12

   It seems that the otherwise undetected companion star must be accreting expelled matter, otherwise the expelled gas would likely form a typical spherical 'planetary nebula' rather than the "strange" planar expulsion disk. Likewise, the expulsion flow velocity must exceed the ability of the companion star to accrete it, otherwise the outflow would not be 'channeled' around the companion.
   
   Also see
   http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1239/#4
   http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/10/scienceshot-star-sheds-a-thousan.html?ref=hp

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. jtdwyer in reply to jtdwyer 07:41 PM 10/11/12

   Also see:
   “Unexpectedly large mass loss during the thermal pulse cycle of the red giant star R Sculptoris”, by Maercker et al. (2012).
   http://www.eso.org/public/archives/releases/sciencepapers/eso1239/eso1239a.pdf

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. greenhome123 03:01 AM 10/12/12

   looks like electrons around a nucleus

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

4. 4. vinodkumarsehgal 09:41 AM 10/15/12

   Article states "The spiral shape was caused by a companion star pushing through the layers expelled by T Sculptoris"
   
   If spirals have been created by some companion star, it means companion star might have pushed through the layer of expelled gases with adequate force for the formation of a spiral. Astronomers also model creation of spirals in case of galaxies on the same pattern where some satellite galaxy enters some large galaxy and create spirals. Above implies companion star should not be much away from R Sculptoris. But astronomers have not detected any companion star which might have created spirals

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this