The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 20, 1988, Page 3, Image 3
4
Science
Wednesday, April 20,1988 THE GAMECOCK 3
I
r~~ ?2E2IMfir*r^^n
Supernovae in
to many astro
By JIM NEWMAN this
Science editor mass
Imagine being able to read by the nal 1
light of a distant star, an intense, fusin
point-like source of light so bright in Bu
the night sky that the full moon paled solar
by comparison. This would be no or- quire
dinary star, but one that is dying. In life.
its place, a supernova has been born. ply,
Though no supernova as tremen- ygen
dously powerful as the one portrayed fuse
in this scenario has been observed in that
recorded history, the possibility beca
always exists. A supernova is produc- stabl
ed during the final moments in the put,
life of a massive star. * r
As it exhausts its remaining supply *
of nuclear fuel, the star collapses on
itself, violently detonating in a titanic
outburst of electromagnetic energy I1110?
that may rival the luminosity emitted '|sc
by the entire galaxy within which it UCMI
& lies. A'
An enormous quantity of the star's ana'
mass is then expelled in all directions to
as it flares with the brilliance of a som<
billion suns. Within time, it will fade ^or '
and become even less conspicuous dule
than before the explosion. f?ur
Supernovae have been a fascina- a^,ei
tion of many amateur and profes- P?,n
sional astronomers through the ^
years. Perhaps that is because not ^u'c
even one has been sighted within the SUPC
Milky Way in more than 300 years. ^
Many have been detected in a ?. . *
number of external galaxies such as SI'1C
Andromeda and most recently, in ler ;
1987, within the Large Magellanic ^ron
Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky app'
Way. Aside from the latter, however, B
most were particularly unimpressive forr
as seen from Earth and required ., Wa;
telescopic aid to see them at all. hyd
What distinguished the Large dev<
Magellanic Cloud supernova, known bab
as Sanduleak -69*202, from other thes
similar extragaiactic events was that it is
it was brighter and closer than any tain
detected since Kepler's supernova of ing
1604. This fortuitous proximity per- heli
mitted astronomers their best chance trar
ever to study a star in the process of supi
tearing itself apart and put current A
theories of stellar evolution to the idez
acid test. dee*
The first few days of observations, pric
however, began to unfold into a its
theorist's nightmare as Sanduleak win
-69'202 seemed to confound long ac- not
cepted beliefs regarding stellar death. star
? Trouble with color Jen
The problem was not sufficient ^S:>
mass, but color. Prior to detonation 8,V(
Sanduleak -69*202 resembled a ^aC(
perfectly youthful blue supergiant a ^
star. f
A star about to undergo a super- not
nova explosion is usuall} of a class of eno
stars known as red supergiants. us
These stars have long since exhausted c|?l
their once abundant supply of t10'
hydrogen and now fuse heavier rea
elements to produce ever higher in- ^or
ternal temperatures in order to main- no>
tain equilibrium. out
Such was the case with Sanduleak 1
-69'202. After fusing most of its re- sue
maining hydrogen supply into be
helium, a thin outer layer of des
hydrogen remained where nuclear It i
reactions could still occur because of tha
increased temperatures created by the
helium now fusing into carbon. A or
star like the sun will never get past sin
The Crab Nebula in Taurus represents tti
ploded In the year 1054.
By
Scie
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stu<
fish
age
anii
! t
bio
JH9IH9BHIIIH
ma
off
i triguing "}
mil
nomers
am
cha
stage bccausc of insufficient tiin
and the inability to create inter- to i
lemperatures sufficient for the or
g of even heavier elements. 1
it Sanduleak -69*202, being of 20 on|
masses, more than met the re- gro
:mcnts for a violent end to its f,s|
After exhausting its helium sup- i
it went on to fuse carbon, ox- prc
, silicon and finally attempted to on]
iron. It was at this final point SDe
fusion processes were to cease Gtc
use iron possesses an exceedingly La
e nucleus that requires energy in- tha
but returns none. the
wring the end ?ft
ith its fuel supply effectively ter- anj
tted, Sanduleak -69*202 found
on the threshold of self- ^1
uetion. to,
fter a year of painstaking
ysis, astrophysicists have come co'
ic conclusion that, though being _
cwhat more compact than usual |||
a star about to supernova, Sanak
-69'202 did not tear down the l&|
idations of stellar astrophysics h
- all, but merely refined a few
its. [i
ne likely explanation for Sanak
-69'202 exploding as a blue {j
:rgiant star was its probable lack
imvu plpmpnls t aror> mmnlilipc E
leavy elements such as carbon,
on and oxygen would tend to bet- p
absorb electromagnetic radiation b
n the core, allowing the surface to r
ear cooler and redder.
ecause the galaxy within which it a
ned, as compared to the Milky *
y, ~is. far-.richer in gaseous 1
rogen and helium for star a
jlopment, Sanduleak -69'202 pro
ly possessed a great deal less of
e heavier elements to start with. a
possible, therefore, that it main- c
ed its bluish color even after leavthe
Main Sequence (hydrogenum
fusion stage) and went on to
isform into a so-called red
ergiant.
k more popular theory extends the
i that Sanduleak -69'202 had ind
become a red supergiant, but
>r to detonation had shed much of
outer layers in a massive solar
d. If so, this loss of mass would
only have reduced the size of the
, but decreased its surface area,
erefore, nuclear reactions
erated in the core would have far
distance to cover, being able to
; Sanduleak -69*202 a hotter surs
temperature and, consequently,
luer color.
til conjecture aside, this event has
laid all questions to rest. An
irmous distance still lies between
and the supernova remnant, no
ibt creating gaps in the informal
originally gathered. For this
din VMIUIMLI ,-) iiiiiaujr jtai 11
the opportunity to study a super/a
at relatively close range within
own galaxy.
t may seem somewhat morbid that
h celebrated anticipation would
involved with observing the
miction of an entire star system,
is this very destruction, however,
t would provide astronomers with
uues wnn wihcii 10 ueiermine 11
when other stars may suffer
lilar fates.
e tangled remains of a star that ex
rofessor work
JIM NEWMAN
nee editor
k. USC marine science professor is
jymg uiv uiuci cai 5(imiuic ui
i and how it can help determine
logy and marine science, hopes
tion necessary for better maintain- I
fisheries and estuarine ecosystems
the South Carolina coast and
~o estimate production in a given " ?'
lei y it has been necessary to deterle
the growth rates of those fish This cutaway of the
hin it. However, many fish ex- mine the age of fish pi
ined never appeared to exhibit a
inge in length over a period of figure out the annual a
e. This has often been attributed but we've now learned
a confusion-causing influx of new nual marks are made u
recently hatched fish. of smaller marks form
t soon became apparent that the Dean said.
y way to precisely determine the The technique is so J
iwth characteristics of particular is possible to backtrac
i was to find out their ages. day a fish was born,
ro do this requires the use of a "This tells you a cerl
>cess dating back to the 1600's, but history of events in fisl
ly rcccntly refined to provide they move from one e
icific data on fish ages. The another," he said.
>lith, meaning "ear-stone" in Of particular interes
tin, is the inner ear component fish found only off tli
it makes it possible to determine U.S. coast. This fish 1
: age of a fish by counting a series mined to possess an a'
marks or "rings" deposited on it, of around two to th
ich in the same way a tree grows displays spawning riti
tiual ring layers. other fish species.
rhis is a trait apparently found on- "We now know t
in most species of fish, but is alien generally three spav
mammals. (groupings) that mov<
"We've known for years that you course of a year, whicl
iild use marks in the otolith to ble by the age study
[JSC's biotech program
eads state in research
EX
rom staff reports ,
with more than 5ZO million in federal and tT~?~~J
rivate grants and 150 scientists and staff, USC's
iotechnology program leads the state in
esearch. This si
The Commission on Higher Education recently South Ct
pproved creation of the USC Institute for
biological Research and Technology, increasing
he visibility of biotechnology research programs
ind enhancing opportunities for funding and colaborative
research with business and industry. g**
"The revolution in biological technology will
ittect the health and lifestyle or each ot us and is
ertain to dominate all other technological ac- By JIM
ivities well into the 21st century," said Dr. Frank Science e
lerger, director of the newly formed institute. Abou
"Recognizing this, USC has made a major ply lies
:ommitment to the development of biotechnology spread
esearch and looks forward to collaborating with surface.
)usiness and industry on research projects that And i
lot only will benefit the people in this state, but How
ilso have a direct impact on the economy." percent.
Already, the center is working with the Green- ly will a
vood Genetics Center, Upjohn Company and the fessor I
savannah River Laboratory. always 1
Its four laboratories support a number of "Out
iiverse research projects, many of which have some ir
ong-term applications for genetics, cancer treat- dry, an
nent and diagnostic medicine. on," C<
"The institute has already had an impact on The (
research in this state and USC," Berger said. face soi
"As the center continues to grow, its visibility beneath
will increase, becoming a hub for biotechnology quhoun
in the Southeast and boosting USC's profile water r<
among major research universities in the nation." This
proport
Researchers investigating ??nert'hse
side effects of diabetes '|iatdo1
the wat
A husband-wife team of researchers at USC is said.
trying to find out why many diabetics go blind, in 3C
need kidney transplants or develop vascular but
disease at a rate far higher than non-diabetics. quhour
The two biochemists, Drs. John Baynes and Alth<
Suzanne Thorpe, are focusing on proteins, com- on surl
plex combinations of amino acids that are essen- much t
tial parts of all living cells. ant* P
They have received more than $2 million in underg
research funding for their work from several where t
sources, including the Diabetes and Kidney ant*
Disease Institute of the National Institutes of siderab
Health and the American Diabetes Association. "S"1
ihey are investigating how a process called
glycation, the interaction between sugar and pro- coa
tein in the blood and tissues, can alter and nature
damage the structure and function of body plain,"
proteins. "Thi
"Protein is the functional material in the thicken
body," Thorpe said. "Muscles, hair, blood and P?edm<
the brain are full of protein. So these are depths
molecules that make things happen since many of ^he
the functions of the body are determined by the layers
activities of protein." aquifei
Most of the complications of diabetes are caus- capable
i i* * .. i _* A a i arp nnl
eu indirectly oy cnanges in protein structure, saiu ",v ,,v"
Baynes, who also teaches in USC's School of The
Medicine. fresh v
"The lens of the eye, for example, is supposed shallov
to be clear," he said. "A change in the lens pro- depenc
tein can bring on cataracts, a leading cause of hard,
blindness." these f
By understanding the chemistry involved in
glycation, Baynes and Thorpe hope to find out were I
why diabetics are subject to age-related complica- mount
tions and perhaps develop ways to prevent or *"e vo
reverse them. a,c 51,1
They are combining basic and clinical research wat
with the cooperation of Dr. Kay McFarland, a The
USC medical professor and diabetes specialist. depem
McFarland provides samples of blood and stream
urine from diabetic patients who have agreed to a sevei
participate in the study. Baynes uses these
samples to prove that the same chemistry that re*y 01
goes on in the test tubes also goes on in people becaus
with diabetes. to ?^1
from
A
s to help S
\
Photo courtesy o
otolith shows the many layers that help sclent
upuiHiions.
igc of the fish, "When we just studied
that those an- couldn't tell how many coh
p of hundreds in because of overlap in fi
ed each day," of (fish) length."
The most complex speci
iccur^,e that it studied so far are marlin a
k to the actual fish. Their otolith structur
be more difficult to
:ain critical life however, because of their
h such as when small size. For example, a
livil IMIlllClll IU till UlUlllll IIIC
thumbnail while a martin's
;t is the spot, a be the "size of the point
e southeastern point pen," Dean said,
las been deter- A further peculiarity of i
verage lifespan why large ones tended to
ree years and while smaller marlin were
uals similar to automatic conclusion was I
the fish, the younger it w<
hat there are The aging technique
vning cohorts this, however.
: in during the "When we compared th
i is made possi- the fish to its age we discc
Dean said. males could have the same
SEA LEVEL y LAND SURFACE
/ / TERTIARY SAND AQUIFER
PL ANATION ^?STc
' *? ???
| CONFINING UNITS
(etch details the extent and depth of both tfi
irolina.
ibsurface watei
>t be as plentil
NEWMAN
ditor
t 97 percent of the entire world's water suplocked
within several huge basins that
over almost three-fourths of the Earth's
it's all completely undrinkable.
then can a world dependent on such a small
ige of fresh water be assured that the suppIways
be in abundance? USC geology proDonald
Colquhoun indicates this may not
be the case.
near the Ogalla aquifer there have been
istances where irrigation wells have gone
d those people have been forced to move
olquhoun said.
Dgalla aquifer is one of the largest subsurlrces
of fresh water in the world and spans
i several central U.S. Plains states. As Colpoints
out, however, this massive fresh
:source too seems to be endangered,
problem may also be reaching worldwide
ions. Some regions that now contain
were once considerably more hospitable.
: Middle East, there were once civilizations
n't exist anymore because they consumed all
er, which destroyed the land," Colquhoun
?uth Carolina, the situation is not as severe,
future could be a cause for concern, Col1
said.
jugh some sections of the state rely largely
face water, such as here in the Midlands,
)f the state is heavily dependent on stable
UntSfnl UfOtAr rocAnr^or /Iroufn frr*m
'iviiiii ui ? uivi i uai/iu wva uiavrit iiuiu
round aquifers. But to determine precisely
hese aquifers are located, how deep they are
>w much water they contain requires conle
analysis.
ce about 1976, I've had a number of
te students doing geological cross sections in
istal plain of South Carolina to outline the
of the sediments that underly the coastal
' Colquhoun said.
e coastal plain is essentually a wedge of
ling sediments that thins out to zero near the
"?nt anrl thirkpnc in a cpawflrrl Hirprtinn tr?
of 2,000 feet around Myrtle Beach."
composition of these sediments and rock
are what determine whether or not an
is present. "Sands and sandstones are
e of holding water whereas clays and muds
t," Colquhoun said.
Piedmont has some difficulty iri obtaining
vater simply because the coastal plain is so
v throughout the area. "The Piedmont is
lent on fracture systems present within very
consolidated rock," he said. "It is within
ractures that ground water is found."
juhoun said that many of these fractures
probably created by past seismic activity,
ain building and various other stresses. But
ids created within the rock by these events
iply not big enough to hold great quantities
er.
Piedmont is therefore rendered largely
ient on surface water such as lakes and
is where shortages are usually realized when
re drought strikes.
y recently has the Midlands been forced to
lore heavily on subsurface water resources
?e, unlike in the Piedmont, it is much easier
:ain. Columbia, for instance, draws water
both the Middendorf and Black Creek
.C. fisheries
annuli as females, but weigh 180
pounds where the female could weigh
4C7&4 pounus, uean saiu. wnai nas
happened is the males reach the size
* of sexual reproduction and then stop
growing, but the otolith keeps adding
these features."
Dean feels it's important to know
age and growth data for every fish
because it's difficult to understand
firsthand which types are important
N to the ecosystem. Spot, for example,
are used more as an "indicator" fish
for monitoring the estuarine
ecosystem than for their commercial
if John Dtan value.
ists deter- "This fish is very abundant, and
we believe it plays an integral role in
how ecosystems function such as how
'sizes we they capture and transfer energy,"
lorts came Dean said.
requencies Another difficulty facing researchers
is the ongoing problem of overif*c
r?f fish fishinp rrrtnin fish nnnnlnf inns
nd sword- Marlin and swordfish, for example,
es tend to caught off the South Carolina coast
analyze, were a top dollar commodity a few
relatively years ago, but now have been
spot may significantly overfished.
size of a This has occurred because many
; may only were being caught before they were
on a ball- sexually mature. These age studies
will likely be useful to those who
marlin was manage these types of fish because
be female specific sexual and growth-related
male. An characteristics can now be determinthe
smaller ed, Dean said.
is. He stressed the need for a better
disproved understanding of fish groups, using
the aging method, to prevent
e weight of fisheries from having such dif
jvered that ficulties with their fish populations in
number of the future.
SURF1CIAL AQUIFER
?\ / B'
IGE\ / CHARLESTON
- ? . FLORIOAN AQUIFER
-J _ SYSTEM
Graphic courtcsy of W. R. Aucotl and G. K. Speiran
ie Middendorf and Black Creek aquifer systems in
r resources may
ful as believed
"Out near the Ogalla aquifer
there have been some instances
where irrigation wells have gone
dry, and those people have been
forced to move on."
Donald Colquhoun
USC geology professor
aquifers, systems so extensive they reach toward
the coast.
Colquhoun said, however, that the ease at which
fresh water can be obtained from these aquifers
changes dramatically as you approach the coast.
"The Middendorf aquifer is contaminated by salt
water in the Myrtle Beach area, and so they only
have the Black Creek aquifer to rely on," he said.
Hilton Head has become an area of major concern
and has even been classified as an impacted :
area. "We're very concerned about this area
because if they do use too much, it's quite possible
that they will draw in the salt water from the sea,"
Colauhoun said. "Once that happens your fresh
water supply is wrecked."
Severe droughts can certainly have hard-hitting
effects on these aquifers, especially one like the
drought during the summer of 1986. "Droughts
can have a very short term, very bad effect, particularly
in the areas where the water feeds into the
subsurface aquifer system," Colquhoun said.
He said a number of creek and river systems feed
the Middendorf aquifer. "So if there's a lack of
rainfall, anybody in these updip areas starts running
into trouble because they are still drawing water
and it's not being replenished." This also further
reduces flow to the aquifer which lessens its rate of
replenishment.
The effects of droughts can vary from point to
point in a general region, Colquhoun said. "Even
when we had the bad drought last summer, people
were still filling their swimming pools in Columbia.
But it was terrible in certain sections of the Piedmont
where they had wells that went and stayed
dry for three to four months."
The option of converting salt water to fresh has
been explored and is a process used extensively on
isolated islands such as those in the Caribbean.
Colquhoun said, however, the cost overrides the
benefits of this method and is not an economical
solution.
Another potentially more serious danger may affect
aauifers in the future. With South Carolina as
a prime target for toxic waste dumping in recent
years, is there the possibility that some of these
hazardous materials could find their way into the
state's aquifer network?
"I think there's been a lot of realization of the
possibility, but obviously you would want to put
hazardous waste facilities of any type in areas
where they would do the least damage to ground
water," Colquhoun said. These would be located
in areas called "aquicludes," or regions barren ol
aquifers.
Colquhoun said that great care should be taken
in the vears to come as aquifers come under heavier
use in some portions of the state. "We do have
state agencies set up to study the water situation
and presumably are going to see these problems
developing as they come," he said.