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First simultaneous observation of a gamma-ray burst in the X-ray and in the very high energy gamma ray band
August 24, 2005For the first time a gamma-ray burst (GRB) has been observed simultaneously in the X-ray and in the very high energy gamma ray band. The MAGIC telescope at La Palma, Canary Islands, observed the enigmatic source GRB050713A, a long duration gamma-ray burst, only 40 seconds after the explosion, at photon energies above 175 GeV.
The puzzling nature of gamma-ray bursts is still not fully understood. Sometimes, GRBs are accompanied by photons 10 billion times more energetic than visible light, lasting typically less than a few tens of seconds. They are among the most distant and luminous sources in the Universe.
The capability of rapid tracking of the MAGIC telescope allowed the operators to start observing the source 20 seconds after the alert was given by the Swift satellite, which is in the Gamma ray bursts Coordinates Network, when the burst was still active in the X-ray range.
The first look at the MAGIC data did not reveal strong gamma ray emissions above 175GeV. The flux limit derived at very high energies by MAGIC is extremely low, 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the extrapolation from lower energies. A detailed analysis is in progress. The upper limit for the flux of energetic gamma rays is consistent with the expected flux of a GRB at high red-shift, strongly attenuated by cosmological pair production. These observations were reported at the 29th International Cosmic Ray Conference which was held on August 3-10 in Pune, India
With its 240 square meters surface, MAGIC is the largest telescope in the world dedicated to the detection of gamma rays. It is managed by a collaboration of 17 institutes from Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, USA, Poland, Bulgaria and Armenia. The Gamma ray bursts Coordinates Network, managed by NASA, can distribute locations of GRBs detected by spacecrafts (Swift, Hete, Integral, Ipn, etc.) and reports of follow-up observations made by ground-based and space-based optical, radio, and x-ray observers.
Max Planck Institute of Physics
The first look at the MAGIC data did not reveal strong gamma ray emissions above 175GeV. The flux limit derived at very high energies by MAGIC is extremely low, 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than the extrapolation from lower energies. A detailed analysis is in progress. The upper limit for the flux of energetic gamma rays is consistent with the expected flux of a GRB at high red-shift, strongly attenuated by cosmological pair production. These observations were reported at the 29th International Cosmic Ray Conference which was held on August 3-10 in Pune, India
With its 240 square meters surface, MAGIC is the largest telescope in the world dedicated to the detection of gamma rays. It is managed by a collaboration of 17 institutes from Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, USA, Poland, Bulgaria and Armenia. The Gamma ray bursts Coordinates Network, managed by NASA, can distribute locations of GRBs detected by spacecrafts (Swift, Hete, Integral, Ipn, etc.) and reports of follow-up observations made by ground-based and space-based optical, radio, and x-ray observers.
Max Planck Institute of Physics
Gamma Ray News and Current Gamma Ray Events RSSScientists Find Giant Ring Encircling Exotic Dead Star
One of the most powerful eruptions in the universe might have spun an infrared ring around a rare and exotic star known as a magnetar, a highly magnetized neutron star and the remnant of a brilliant supernova explosion signaling the death throes of a massive star.
A scientific first: A supernova explosion is observed in real time
An ordinary observation with NASA's Swift research satellite recently led to the first real-time sighting of a star in the process of exploding. Astronomers have surveyed thousands of these supernova explosions in the past, but their observations have always begun some time after the main event is underway.
Biogas production is all in the mixing
Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis, using an impressive array of imaging and tracking technologies, have determined the importance of mixing in anaerobic digesters for bioenergy production and animal and farm waste treatment.
A Stellar Explosion You Could See on Earth!
Astronomers are familiar with seeing amazing things through their telescopes. But nothing prepared them for an incredible explosion detected early Wednesday morning by NASA's Swift satellite. At 2:12 a.m. EDT, Swift detected an explosion from deep space that was so powerful that its afterglow was briefly visible to the naked eye. Even more astonishing, the explosion itself took place halfway across the visible universe!
Astronomers find record-old cosmic explosion
Using the powerful one-two combo of NASA's Swift satellite and the Gemini Observatory, astronomers from a number of institutions, including Johns Hopkins, have detected a mysterious type of cosmic explosion farther back in time than ever before.
UO plays key role in LIGO's new view of a cosmic event
An international team of physicists, including University of Oregon scientists, has concluded that last February's intense burst of gamma rays possibly coming from the Andromeda Galaxy lacked a gravitational wave. That absence, they say, rules out an initial interpretation that the burst came from merging neutron stars or black holes within Andromeda.
Deep-ocean drilling researchers target earthquake and tsunami zone
Researchers fresh from an eight-week scientific drilling expedition off the Pacific coast of Japan today reported their discovery of strong variation in the tectonic stresses in a region notorious for generating devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, the Nankai Trough.
Science with Integral -- 5 years on
With eyes that peer into the most energetic phenomena in the universe, ESA's Integral has been setting records, discovering the unexpected and helping understanding the unknown over its first five years.
New tool to measure speeding nuclei is a fast-beam first
An international collaboration at the Michigan State University National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) has demonstrated a new technique for studying particles traveling at one-third the speed of light.
UCLA's Christopher Russell leads NASA's Dawn Mission, set for July 7 launch
Christopher T. Russell, UCLA professor of geophysics and space physics, has spent 15 years working on NASA's Dawn mission to the doughnut-shaped asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. As the scheduled July 7 launch from Cape Canaveral nears, Russell is ready, and so is Dawn.
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