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Health & Science4h 0m ago
A new study proposes a model showing that the final death throes of Sun-like stars involve "little kicks" as blobs of matter are chaotically ejected from their surfaces.
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Pasadena
Who
Jim Fuller, Kareem El-Badry, Caltech
What
A new study proposes a model showing that the final death throes of Sun-like stars involve "little kicks" as blobs of matter are chaotically ejected from their surfaces.
When
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:36:00 GMT · 4h 0m ago
Where
Pasadena ·
Why
The asymmetrical ejection of matter from aging stars causes a net push in one direction, leading to the observed "kicks" in white dwarfs.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This model provides a physical explanation for why widely spaced binary stars become less common after one star becomes a white dwarf, as the kicks can decouple them. It also predicts that kicks could cause some dying red giants and their companions to collide, leading to explosions that future astronomers can search for.
Story chain
6 events in this thread- Health & Science4h 0m agoA new study from Caltech's Jim Fuller proposes a model showing that escaping mass from dying stars' surfaces leads to a series of little kicks.Open article
- Health & Science4h 0m agoA new study from Caltech's Jim Fuller proposes a model of Sun-like stars' final death throes, showing how escaping mass leads to a series of "little kicks."Open article
- Health & Science4h 0m agoA new study proposes a model where aging Sun-like stars experience a series of 'kicks' as they shed mass, eventually leading to a net movement of about a kilometer per second.Open article
- Currently Reading4h 0m agoA new study proposes a model showing that the final death throes of Sun-like stars involve "little kicks" as blobs of matter are chaotically ejected from their surfaces.
- Health & Science4h 0m agoA new study from Caltech's Jim Fuller proposes a model explaining how escaping mass from aging Sun-like stars leads to a series of "little kicks" impacting their movement and binary systems.Open article
- Health & Science4h 0m agoA new study from Caltech's Jim Fuller proposes a new model of the final death throes of Sun-like stars that shows how escaping mass from the stars' surfaces leads to a series of little kicks.Open article