Articles tagged with Gamma Ray Astronomy
Researchers have identified a connection between fast X-ray transients and neutron star mergers, with a record-setting X-ray flash lasting nearly ten minutes. The study provides strong evidence for a neutron star merger, with a measured redshift indicating the explosion occurred over six billion years ago.
The CTAO's southern array will be the first gamma-ray observatory to be built in Chile, providing new insights into high-energy Universe events. Construction began on the telescope foundations at ESO's Paranal site in Chile's Atacama Desert.
The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory has begun construction on its southern site in Chile, paving the way for the world's largest and most powerful observatory for gamma-ray astronomy. The CTAO will focus on understanding relativistic cosmic particles, probing extreme environments, and searching for dark matter.
Astronomers have detected a new gamma-ray source near Westerlund 1, a young massive star cluster in the Milky Way. The source is connected to a 'nascent outflow' of particles driven by the cluster's collective wind, creating a cavity in the interstellar medium.
Researchers believe they have finally detected gamma rays predicted by the annihilation of theoretical dark matter particles. The observed energy spectrum matches the emission predicted from weakly interacting massive particles, with a mass approximately 500 times that of a proton.
A mysterious glow in the Milky Way could be a clue to dark matter's existence. Researchers used supercomputers to simulate dark matter locations and found matches with actual gamma ray maps.
A team of astronomers has detected an unprecedented gamma-ray burst (GRB) that repeated several times over the course of a day, defying current understanding of these powerful events. The source was pinpointed to be outside our galaxy, with evidence suggesting it may reside in another galaxy, several billion light-years away.
Physicists from the University of Copenhagen have discovered a step-like signature that resembles the signature of an elusive axion particle using galaxy clusters. This method has greatly increased what we know about axions, allowing researchers to narrow down the space where it can be found.
A new study finds that a millisecond magnetar could have triggered the flashes of GRB 230307A, an extremely bright GRB detected in March 2023. The observation suggests that the magnetar model is consistent with the features of the prompt emission and the long-lasting X-ray plateau.
Astronomers have discovered a cosmic anomaly that challenges our understanding of the universe, revealing a spiral galaxy harboring a supermassive black hole billions of times the Sun's mass. This discovery forces us to rethink how galaxies evolve and how supermassive black holes grow in them.
The StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer will detect short-duration bursts of gamma-rays from neutron star mergers, providing fundamental insight into these extreme explosions. With an effective area four times greater than the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, it will increase the detection rate of EM counterparts to NS mergers.
The Einstein Probe mission aims to probe X-ray transient sources and explosive astrophysical phenomena, contributing significantly to astronomical research. The mission's sophisticated observational instruments will enhance the detection of sudden X-ray transients and monitor variability in known celestial sources.
A new study has challenged the long-held belief that atomic nuclei are perfectly spherical, revealing that lead-208 is slightly elongated and resembles a rugby ball. The discovery was made using high-precision experimental equipment and has far-reaching implications for nuclear physics and astrophysics.
Scientists have discovered that even low-mass microquasars can accelerate particles to high energies, producing gamma-ray signals. This finding challenges the long-held belief that only high-mass systems are capable of particle acceleration.
A team of scientists captured an astonishing image of a gamma-ray flare emanating from the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. The flare was tens of millions of times larger than the event horizon and lasted about three days, providing crucial insights into particle acceleration near black holes.
A research group at USTC found that γ rays can facilitate the conversion of aqueous-phase methane to diverse products, including hydrocarbons, oxygenated compounds, and amino acids like glycine. The reaction rate is contingent on free radical concentrations and does not significantly influence temperature.
A nearby supernova explosion could produce gamma rays that pinpoint the mass of a key dark matter candidate, the axion. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope would need to be in position to detect these gamma rays within 10 seconds of the supernova's core collapse.
Researchers used a retrofitted U2 spy plane to detect gamma radiation in large tropical thunderstorms. Over 9 of 10 flights yielded observations, suggesting more than half of all thunderstorms in the tropics are radioactive.
Researchers have discovered Flickering Gamma-Ray Flashes (FGFs), a phenomenon that could be the missing link between Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes and gamma-ray glows. Studies reveal dynamic gamma-ray emissions in tropical thunderclouds, challenging previous assumptions about these events.
The LHAASO experiment reveals a 'bending' structure in the gamma-ray spectrum at tens of TeV, indicating the acceleration limit of cosmic rays in the W51 complex. The energy spectrum shows evidence of particle acceleration approaching PeV energies.
The NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center's Fermi telescope has discovered a unique emission line in the spectrum of the brightest gamma-ray burst ever recorded. This phenomenon was detected using data from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope and provides new insights into the physics of gamma-ray bursts.
A Clemson astrophysicist's research offers the most stringent constraints yet on dark matter's fundamental nature. The study reveals a small hint of a signal that could be confirmed in the next decade if real.
Researchers have discovered unique electromagnetic signals in the debris of a neutron star merger, which could provide new constraints on axion-like particles and their potential role in dark matter. The findings were made using data from NASA's Fermi-LAT gamma-ray telescope.
A team from the University of Leicester will rapidly analyze gamma-ray bursts using satellite and ground-based telescopes. They aim to probe the physical forces behind these events, which can signal massive star deaths or neutron star/black hole mergers.
Researchers led by Bruno Arsioli have observed a non-uniform distribution of high-energy photons in the Sun's gamma-ray emissions, with polar regions emitting more radiation than expected. This finding suggests a possible link between cosmic rays and the solar magnetic field, which could inform space weather forecasts.
The H.E.S.S. Observatory detected gamma-ray emission from the outer jets of SS 433, revealing a shift in energy-dependent morphology. This suggests strong shock acceleration, where high-energy particles collide with photons, producing x-ray radiation and explaining the X-ray reappearance of the jets.
Astronomers have found an unexpected gamma-ray signal outside of our galaxy, with a magnitude 10 times greater than expected from Earth's motion. The discovery is linked to the highest-energy cosmic rays and may be related to unidentified sources producing both gamma-rays and ultrahigh-energy particles.
Kobe University researchers have developed a pancake stack of films on a balloon that takes the world's most accurate picture of a neutron star's gamma ray beam. The setup uses a novel, automated data capture and analysis process to track the trajectory of particles produced by gamma rays, achieving an accuracy of 1/10,000 millimeters.
The new catalog of gamma-ray pulsars, compiled from the work of 170 scientists globally, reveals a significant increase in gamma-ray emitting pulsars discovered by NASA's Fermi mission. This discovery sheds light on astrophysics research and offers insights into cosmic rays, stellar evolution, gravitational waves, and dark matter.
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has discovered nearly 300 gamma-ray pulsars, transforming the field of pulsar research with more than 15 years of data from Fermi. These cosmic clocks have been used in experiments to search for gravitational waves and study their origins.
A study analyzed 145 blazars to understand the contribution of gamma-ray flares to neutrino emission. Researchers found that blazars with lower flare duty cycles and energy fractions are more numerous, indicating a correlation between their flare activity and neutrino production.
Researchers using H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia have detected the highest energy gamma rays ever from a dead star called a pulsar, with energies reaching up to 20 tera-electronvolts. This observation challenges our previous knowledge of pulsars and requires a rethinking of how these natural accelerators work.
A research group led by Kyoto University collected data on gamma-ray glows from thunderstorms, which may help explain the origins of lightning. The team proposes that high-energy particles from space could trigger lightning discharges.
Researchers characterize 106 dim blazars to test the blazar sequence theory, exploring black hole growth and general relativity. The study reveals that lower-energy peaks for dim blazars peak in blue, higher-energy light, extending current knowledge of the pattern.
Researchers detected prompt optical emission and its transition to early afterglow of a gamma-ray burst using the Ground Wide Angle Camera Array. The study provides unique data that constrains the characteristics of the progenitor, suggesting a small stellar mass.
The detection of GRB 221009A marks the most energetic gamma-ray burst ever observed, with a luminosity surpassing that of entire galaxies and hundreds of billions of stars. The event was followed up by space-based telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, which provided insight into its properties.
The Swift Observatory team, led by Maia Williams, detected the brightest gamma-ray burst ever recorded, GRB 221009A. The burst was incredibly bright and had an afterglow that was more than 10 times brighter than any previous observation.
Astronomers have discovered a galaxy with a unique activity in its core, leading to a reclassification as a giant radio galaxy. The PBC J2333.9-2343 galaxy has a blazar at its center with jets that changed direction drastically by up to 90 degrees.
A team of researchers has successfully captured highly polarized X-ray transitions using a combination of state-of-the-art instruments. The experiment revealed the presence of quantum interference effects, which were initially thought to be absent in atomic physics.
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has captured a dynamic animation of the gamma-ray sky, revealing frenzied activity over nearly 15 years. The data, now publicly available, includes records of source brightness changes and sheds light on blazars and multimessenger astronomy.
Scientists discover first gamma-ray eclipses from spider star systems using Fermi data, calculating system tilt and pulsar mass. The discovery helps researchers measure pulsar masses, constraining physics within extreme environments.
Large gamma-ray emitting bubbles are produced by fast blowing outward winds and the associated reverse shock. Numerical simulations successfully reproduced the temperature profile observed by an X-ray telescope, supporting this scenario.
Researchers observed a gamma-ray burst that defied categorization, sparking an international investigation. The team discovered a kilonova, a smoking-gun proof of neutron star collision, which challenged existing theories on short gamma-ray bursts.
The event challenged scientists' understanding of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are the most powerful events in the universe. The burst's high-energy light and kilonova visible and infrared light were detected by NASA's Swift Observatory and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, providing new insights into how heavy elements are created.
Researchers found that gamma rays can catalyze the formation of amino acids in early meteorites, which could have contributed to the origin of life on Earth. The study provides evidence for a possible mechanism by which life's building blocks were delivered to our planet.
A recent gamma-ray burst has been identified as a kilonova, shedding light on the merging of neutron stars and black holes. The event produced an excess of infrared light and lasted about a minute, contradicting the typical short duration of such explosions.
A team led by University of Maryland astronomer Igor Andreoni discovered a bright optical flare caused by a dying star's encounter with a supermassive black hole. The event, AT2022cmc, is extremely rare and was found using a novel data pipeline that analyzed the Zwicky Transient Facility survey.
According to new research led by the University of Bath, some short-duration gamma-ray bursts are triggered by the birth of supramassive stars, not black holes. This discovery may offer a new way to locate neutron star mergers and gravitational wave emitters.
A research team proposes that magnetic reconnection around black holes energizes plasma, producing copious electron-positron pairs loaded into radio jets. This explanation aligns with M87 observations and predicts short-term X-ray emission when plasma is loaded.
Astronomers have long sought the launch sites for high-energy protons in our galaxy, and NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has confirmed that a supernova remnant is just such a place. The shock waves of exploded stars boost particles to speeds comparable to light, producing a tell-tale glow in gamma rays.
The MAGIC telescopes detected gamma rays with energies of 250 gigaelectronvolts from the RS Ophiuchi nova, a hundred billion times more energetic than visible light. This suggests that nova outbursts are a source of cosmic rays, specifically accelerated protons and nuclei of hydrogen atoms.
Astronomers used over a decade of Fermi data to search for signs of long gravitational waves from supermassive black hole pairs. Although no waves were detected, the analysis shows that with more observations, these waves may be within Fermi's reach.
Astronomers have been searching for low-frequency gravitational waves by monitoring pulsar pulses, but now NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope can also be used to detect these waves. The satellite's high-energy light provides a clearer view of pulsars and offers an independent method to detect gravitational waves.
Research reveals a cosmic particle acceleration process in a stellar nova, accelerating particles to extreme energies. The observation suggests that the acceleration process could be efficient in supernovae, providing new insights into astrophysics.
A team of researchers led by Alexis Andrés analyzed 15 years' worth of data from NASA's Swift Observatory to find that Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, flares irregularly both day-to-day and in the long term.
Astronomers have discovered a binary system consisting of a rapidly spinning neutron star and the precursor to an extremely-low-mass white dwarf, dubbed a 'cosmic spider'. The system emits powerful gamma-rays and has been observed using the SOAR Telescope in Chile.
Researchers detected gamma rays from ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) launched by supermassive black holes, providing a basis for understanding their role in regulating black hole growth and galaxy evolution. UFOs create shock waves that accelerate charged particles, influencing the surrounding matter and accelerating star formation.
Researchers propose that low-activity supermassive black holes are major factories of high-energy cosmic particles. They can generate gamma rays in the megaelectron volt range through plasma heating and accelerate protons to energies thousands of times higher than the Large Hadron Collider.
Researchers from Australian National University confirm that star-forming galaxies are responsible for creating gamma-rays that had been puzzling astronomers. The discovery sheds light on the origins of these mysterious emissions and could provide clues to understanding Dark Matter.
A new study of the Ophiuchus star-forming complex offers an analog for the formation of our solar system, suggesting that short-lived radioactive elements were enriched through supernovas in a nearby cluster. The research provides new insights into the conditions in which our solar system was born.