Scientists have discovered the brightest gamma-ray burst ever |  Urania

Three researchers have detected a gamma-ray burst in the constellation Sagittarius, which is among the brightest stars ever recorded.

It is believed to have been discovered gamma ray burst (GRB)coming from a distance of 2.4 billion light yearsis the result of the collapse of a massive star, accompanied by an explosion Supernovawhich leads to creation Black hole.

Dr. Peter Ferrez, Associate Professor at CSPAR, with Dr. Share Michael S. Briggs, chief scientist and deputy director of CSPAR, and Stephen Lesage, research assistant at UAH, on the research on gamma-ray burst detection and analysis. As part of their collaboration, the researchers used Gamma Burst Monitor (GBM)on board Fermi gamma ray telescope, which is placed in low Earth orbit. With this instrument, it is possible to observe the entire sky in the gamma-ray spectrum, undisturbed by Earth’s atmosphere, allowing for the active study of gamma-ray bursts as part of the main research programme.

This gamma ray burst was very bright. We expected to witness such a phenomenon only once every 10,000 years said Dr. Ferris. We routinely detect GRBs at a rate of about five per week and note if any of them are unique in any way. This was so bright that the device was unable to keep up with the large number of incoming photons. Most of the work involved figuring out how to reconstruct the missing numbers.

GRBs come from random directions in the sky, so the GBM must constantly monitor as much space as possible. The GBM consists of 12 detectors made of sodium iodide, which are used to detect X-rays and low-energy gamma rays, and two detectors made of bismuth germanites, designed to record high-energy gamma rays. When gamma rays hit these detectors, they interact with crystals in the instrument. The higher the energy of the gamma rays, the more light is generated.

By analyzing the light-emitting crystals, GBM is able to determine which direction the gamma-ray bursts are coming from. Since its launch, the Fermi instrument has detected more than 3,500 such events, and the explosion, named 221009A, was the brightest of these events to date.

doctor. Ferris explains: During a gamma ray burst, we witness the destruction of a massive star about 30 times the mass of the Sun, and the formation of a black hole. This phenomenon accompanies a very fast launch flowwhich reach a speed close to The speed of light It generates a gamma-ray burst. Over time, gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are also seen in other wavelengths, from radio waves and light waves to high-energy gamma rays, which are called GRB flares. It must be emphasized that this last burst was so bright that a glow appeared in the gamma-ray burst monitoring detector, which is a rare occurrence. This allowed us to follow it for about three hours.

GRB 221009A is also one of the brightest and possibly the most energetic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) discovered to date. A detailed description of this finding will be presented in the future condition.

Details:
Agnes Nowak

more information:

Source: University of Alabama in Huntsville

Pictured: GRB 221009A occurred about 2.4 billion years ago in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. Source: Courtesy of Gemini International Observatory

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