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About twice every century, one of the massive stars in our galaxy blows itself apart in a
As the overlying layers rain down on the surface of the neutron star, the temperature rises, until with a blinding flash of radiation, the collapse is reversed. A thermonuclear shock wave runs through the now expanding stellar envelope, fusing lighter elements into heavier ones and producing a brilliant visual outburst that can be as intense as the light of 10 billion suns. The shell of matter thrown off by the explosion plows through the surrounding gas, producing an expanding bubble of hot gas, with gas temperatures in the millions of degrees. This gas will emit most of its energy at X-ray wavelengths, so it is not surprising that X-ray observatories have provided some of the most useful insights into the nature of the supernova phenomenon. More than twenty supernova remnants have now been detected in X-ray studies.
Recent discoveries of meteorites with anomalous concentrations of certain isotopes indicate that a supernova might have precipitated the' birth of our solar system more than four and a half billion years ago, Although the cloud that collapsed to form. the sun and the planets was composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, it also contained carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, elements essential for life as we know it. Elements heavier than helium are manufactured deep in the interior of stars and would, for the most part, remain there if it were not for the cataclysmic supernova explosions that blow giant stars apart. Additionally, supernovas produce clouds of high- energy particles called cosmic rays. These high-energy particles continually bombard the earth and are responsible for many of the genetic mutations that are the driving force of the evolution of species.
Which of the following titles best describes the content of the passage?
A.The Origins and Effects of Supernovas.
B.The Life and Death of Stars.
C.The Origins and Evolution of Life on the Earth.
D.The Aftermath of a Supernova.
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