Space telescopes observe unprecedented explosion

Mage of swift ultraviolet/optical (white, purple) and X-ray telescopes (yellow and red) were combined 110328A in this view of the GRB. The explosion was only found in X-rays, which were recorded over a period of 3.4 on 28 March. Credit: NASA/swift/Stefan Immler

From a NASA press release:

NASA's swift, Hubble space telescope and Chandra x-ray Observatory teamed to study is the most enigmatic cosmic blasts even noticed. More than a week later, continue to high-energy radiation brighten and fade from its location.

Astronomers say they have something never seen these bright, durable, and variable. Typically gamma-ray bursts highlight emission of these events the destruction of a massive star, but flaring never more than a few hours.

Although research in progress, astronomers say that the unusual blast probably originated as a star to near black hole central to its Galaxy moved. Intense tidal forces tore apart the star, and the infalling gas still in the direction of the hole to stream. According to this model formed black hole one the spinning its axis of rotation velocity Jet along. A powerful explosion of X- and gamma rays is visible if this Jet in our direction is displayed.

On 28 March, swift burst alert telescope discovered the source in the constellation Dragon when it broke out with the first in a series of high-performance x-ray blasts. The satellites to determine a location for the explosion, now cataloged as gamma-ray (GRB) 110328A burst, and astronomers around the world informed.

This is a visible light image of GRB 110328A host (arrow) on 4 April by the Hubble Space Telescope wide field camera 3 hit. The Galaxy is 3.8 billion light years. Credit: NASA/ESA/A. Fruchter (STScI)

Dozens of telescopes was to study up on the ground noticed that a small, far-away Galaxy very nearby position appeared the swift astronomers quickly. A deep image taken by Hubble on 4 April identified the source of the explosion in the Centre of this galaxy, the 3.8 billion light years away.

On the same day, Chandra x-ray Observatory used the NASA astronomers to a four hour long exposure of the mysterious source. The image, which is 10 times more the object as swift, shows that it is in the center of the Galaxy, the Hubble.

"We know from objects in our own galaxy, which can produce repeated bursts, but they are hundred thousand times less powerful than the bursts, we now see that." "Is the extraordinary", said Andrew Fruchter at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

NASA's Chandra x-ray Observatory completed this four hour exposure of GRB 110328A on 4 April. The center of the X-ray source is the center of the host Galaxy of Hubble (Red Cross) mapped. Credit: NASA/CXC/Warwick/A. Levan

"We were expected to stress the Hubble observation, have", said Neil Gehrels, the lead scientist for swift at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. "The fact that the explosion occurred in the center of a Galaxy tells us that it is most likely a huge black hole assigned." "This raises a key question about the mysterious event."

The most galaxies, including our own, contain central black holes with million times the Sun's mass; In the largest galaxies can be a thousand times greater. A less massive than the Milky Way's black hole probably succumbed to the disrupted star, a mass has four million times higher than our Sun

Astronomers have stars previously none rated disturbed recognized by supermassive black holes, but showed x-ray brightness and variability in GRB 110328A seen. The source has repeatedly entbrannte. Since April 3 has for example it by more than five times brightened.

Scientists believe that the X-rays may be, of the matter moving near the speed of light in a particle Jet, the forms as the star of gas in toward is the black hole.

"At the moment is the best explanation that we just looking for the course this Jet", said Andrew Levan at the University of Warwick in the UK, which led the Chandra observations. "If we just down these jets, a batch can brightness us map details, which we might otherwise miss."

This increase is brightness relativistic beaming is called, that if matter moving close to the speed of light appears almost head on.

Astronomers plan additional Hubble observations to determine whether core changes brightness of the Galaxy.

For more information, see this NASA press release.

Tagged as: Chandra, gamma ray bursts, Hubble, swift telescope

View the original article here