Credit & Copyright: NASA's
Conceptual Imaging
Lab
Explanation:
Both gravitational and electromagnetic radiations have been detected in
rapid succession for an explosive merging event for the first time.
Data from the outburst fit well with a spectacular binary neutron-star
death-spiral.
The explosive episode was seen on August 17 in nearby
NGC 4993, an
elliptical galaxy only 130 million
light
years distant.
Gravitational waves were
seen first by the ground based
LIGO and
Virgo observatories,
while seconds later the Earth-orbiting
Fermi observatory detected gamma-rays, and hours after that
Hubble
and other observatories detected light throughout the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Pictured is an
animated illustrative movie
of the event's likely progenitors.
The video depicts hot
neutron stars as they
spiral in toward each other and emit
gravitational radiation.
As they merge, a powerful jet extends that drives the
short-duration gamma-ray burst, followed by clouds of ejecta and,
over time, an optical supernova-type episode called a
kilonova.
This first coincident detection confirms that LIGO events can be
associated with
short-duration gamma-ray bursts.
Such powerful neutron star mergers are thought to have
seeded the universe with
many heavy nuclei including the
iodine
needed for life
and the uranium and plutonium needed for
nuclear fission power.
You may already own
a souvenir of one of these explosions -- they are also thought to be the
original creators of
gold.
Note: This APOD may be updated with links to published journal
articles as they appear.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 |
Yanvar' Fevral' Mart Aprel' Mai Iyun' Iyul' Avgust Sentyabr' Oktyabr' Noyabr' Dekabr' |
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
|
Publikacii s klyuchevymi slovami:
neutron star - gamma-ray burst - gravitational radiation - neitronnye zvezdy - gamma-vspleski - gravitacionnye volny
Publikacii so slovami: neutron star - gamma-ray burst - gravitational radiation - neitronnye zvezdy - gamma-vspleski - gravitacionnye volny | |
Sm. takzhe:
Vse publikacii na tu zhe temu >> | |
