The Emergence of Multi-Messenger Astronomy, Part I: Supernovae as Epistemic Laboratories.

The paper explores the historical development of supernova research in the 20th century and examines its role in the emergence of multi-messenger astronomy. Through an analysis of primary scientific literature and review sources, we show that theoretical and experimental investigations of supernovae...

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Publicado en:Centaurus: Journal of the European Society for the History of Science Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 53 - 84
Autores principales: LA RANA, ADELE, BONOLIS, LUISA, LALLI, ROBERTO
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Brepols Publishers 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: The Emergence of Multi-Messenger Astronomy, Part I: Supernovae as Epistemic Laboratories.
      aug:
        au:
          LA RANA, ADELE
          BONOLIS, LUISA
          LALLI, ROBERTO
        affil:
          Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
          INFN, Sezione di Roma, I-00185 Roma, Italy
          Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, Germany
          Politecnico di Torino, Italy
      su:
        Supernovae
        Interdisciplinary research
        Cooperative research
        Astronomical instruments
        History of science
        Astronomical observations
      sug:
        subj:
          Supernovae
          Interdisciplinary research
          Cooperative research
          Astronomical instruments
          History of science
          Astronomical observations
      keyword:
        Gamma-Ray Astronomy
        Gravitational Waves
        High-Energy Astrophysics
        History of Astrophysics
        Multi-Messenger Astronomy
        Neutrino
        Supernova
      ab: The paper explores the historical development of supernova research in the 20th century and examines its role in the emergence of multi-messenger astronomy. Through an analysis of primary scientific literature and review sources, we show that theoretical and experimental investigations of supernovae, from the 1930s to the supernova 1987A and beyond, have fostered a crucial shift in astronomical research. Building on conceptual tools from history of science and social studies--such as Galison's "trading zones," Star and Griesemer's "boundary objects," and Renn's notions of "challenging objects" and "borderline problems"--this analysis shows how supernovae served as both enablers and drivers of productive confrontation and exchanges across disciplinary boundaries. Through key episodes we discuss how they bridged different research domains, shaping hybridized practices and expertise, in order to address complex questions that no single field could resolve. Particular attention is given to the detection of SN1987A. Though not yet embedded in a mature multi-messenger framework, it revealed the latent infrastructure, interpretive gaps, and epistemic promise of a globally coordinated, real-time, multi-signal astronomy, anticipating more integrated approaches. Following this turning point, the article traces how collaborative practices gradually solidified into enduring forms of interdisciplinary work, laying the epistemic groundwork for multi-messenger science long before the term gained currency. We argue that supernova research functioned as a long-term trading zone, where experimental practices, theoretical models, and instrumentation co-evolved across disciplinary boundaries. By reconstructing this process, the paper contributes to a historical understanding of how new scientific fields emerge through the reconfiguration of existing ones. This paper forms the first part of a twofold study on the emergence of multi-messenger astronomy as a new field of scientific inquiry. The companion study will integrate this contribution, by tracing the rise and consolidation of multi-messenger research networks through co-authorship and co-citation analysis in the 21st century.
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      src: R
    language: English
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