时间:2025-04-02 09:19:59 来源:网络整理编辑:知識
Scientists thought they had a few things figured out about the brightest and most violent space expl
Scientists thought they had a few things figured out about the brightest and most violent space explosions humans have ever seen until the universe handed them a powerful flash that didn't play by the rules.
Telescopes, including NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, detected a long gamma-ray burst, the most energetic form of light. Experts would normally expect such a blast to come from a supernova, the last hurrah of a dying massive star. Instead, the data showed a so-called "kilonova," a much dimmer afterglow typically associated with a short burst of a couple of seconds or less. Kilonovas tend to result from crashes of dead-star remnants.
The new findings, published in studies in the journal Nature,conducted by separate teams using independent data, are the first time a kilonova has been connected to a long-burst signal. The event throws a wrench into previous scientific thinking on how these dying-star explosions occur, and may hint at where astronomical factories for heavy metals, like gold, can be found.
SEE ALSO:Spectacular Webb telescope image shows a stellar death like never beforeResearch groups were immediately interested in this odd, long gamma-ray signal, known as GRB 211211A, because of its relatively close location. The burst, which lasted about a minute on Dec. 11, 2021, was in a galaxy only 1 billion light-years from Earth, meaning the light traveled for a billion years through space before reaching the telescopes' sensors. That may seem extremely far, but most have come from between 6 and 13 billion light-years away, from the time of the early universe.
”We were able to observe this event only because it was so close to us,” said Eleonora Troja, an astronomer at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, in a statement. “It is very rare that we observe such powerful explosions in our cosmic backyard, and every time we do, we learn about the most extreme objects in the universe."
Some astronomers now think this unusual gamma-ray signal could have formed when a neutron star and a white dwarf star, remnants of different-sized dead stars, collided.
Want more scienceand tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newslettertoday.
The observation may change how astrophysicists approach the search for heavy metals, such as platinum and gold, in the future. While lighter elements — helium, silicon, and carbon — have been somewhat easy to find and study in space, finding the sources of heavy metal production has been harder. Astrophysicists think they come from dying-star explosions, but clear signs of their creation are rarely observed.
The radioactive breakdown of some of the heaviest elements is what powers kilonova explosions, said Jillian Rastinejad, who led one of the studies at Northwestern University.
“But kilonovae are very hard to observe and fade very quickly," she said in a statement. "Now, we know we can also use some long gamma-ray bursts to look for more kilonovae.”
TopicsNASA
PlayStation Now game streaming is coming to PC2025-04-02 08:50
PlayStation State of Play: How to watch and what to expect2025-04-02 08:38
濃眉13+16普爾空砍29分 詹庫缺席湖人險勝勇士 恩比德37+13 哈登29+6+6 布裏奇斯23+6 76人力克籃網(濃眉缺陣詹姆斯18分)2025-04-02 08:35
iOS 18 AI features: 7 new rumored updates coming to your iPhone2025-04-02 08:32
One of the most controversial power struggles in media comes to a close2025-04-02 08:21
5 deeply '90s nostalgic things about the rebooted Nokia 32102025-04-02 08:07
Best speaker deal: Get the Sonos Era 100 smart speaker for 20% off at Amazon2025-04-02 08:02
意甲AC米蘭vs博洛尼亞,賽季末來大家覺得這場怎麽樣 ?2025-04-02 07:59
Darth Vader is back. Why do we still care?2025-04-02 06:47
ChatGPT is down again. Here's what we know.2025-04-02 06:47
Aly Raisman catches Simone Biles napping on a plane like a champion2025-04-02 09:04
Japanese billionaire cancels private SpaceX moon mission, crew devastated2025-04-02 09:04
WWDC 2024: What to expect, including AI, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and more2025-04-02 08:58
原創 NBA官方實力榜:綠軍掘金雄鹿前3,太陽第13勇士第16湖人僅第21(籃網太可惜了)2025-04-02 08:39
Florida hurricane forecast remains uncertain, but trends in state's favor2025-04-02 08:28
'The Watchers' review: Dakota Fanning embraces folk horror with a Shyamalan twist2025-04-02 08:08
John Waters' Pride month movie picks: 'Good Cinema… Gay is a good start.' 2025-04-02 08:01
iOS 18 AI features: 7 new rumored updates coming to your iPhone2025-04-02 08:00
Cat gets stuck in the most awkward position ever2025-04-02 07:58
意甲AC米蘭vs博洛尼亞 ,賽季末來大家覺得這場怎麽樣?2025-04-02 07:31