 |
The binary
star system RS Ophiuchi: Matter flows from the red giant onto the white dwarf. |
Adding to our understanding of the intriguing phenomenon of cosmic rays.
Last year,
a pair of stars released a rare dramatic explosion that sent shockwaves through
space.
Scientists
have been tracking RS Opiuchi, a red giant and a white dwarf in the Serpent
Bearer constellation, as it unleashes a tremendous explosion every 15 years,
sending particles shooting outwards at close to the speed of light.
According
to a Press release, the binary star system's most recent explosion happened last
year, and the dramatic occurrence was captured by two Earth-based telescopes.
It's the first time such comprehensive gamma-ray measurements have been made of
such a rare event.
Scientists
attempting to solve the enigma of cosmic rays now have a new path of
investigation thanks to close observations of the stunning event.
Aside from
last year's observation, astronomers have seen the RS Opiuchi nova occur in
1898, 1907, 1933, 1945, 1958, 1967, 1985, and 2006. A group of academics has
now detailed the most current findings in an article published in the journalNature Astronomy. The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov)
telescopes in the Canary Islands captured the event last year, allowing
researchers to estimate the explosion's radiation to be 250 gigaelectronvolts –
a hundred billion times more intense than a typical visible light beam.
After the
first signs that it was likely to blow, the MAGIC team had to quickly aim their
telescopes towards RS Opiuchi, demonstrating the technology's speedy
deployability. "The stunning eruption of the RS Ophiuchi demonstrates that
the MAGIC telescopes' quick response pays off: they change to a new target in
less than 30 seconds," stated David Green, a co-author of the paper from
the Max Planck Institute for Physics.
Nova outbursts are "a source of cosmic rays"
The
authors of the paper feel that the findings will aid the scientific community
in unravelling the riddle of cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are very energetic atom
fragments that come from beyond our solar system and smash with Earth at the
speed of light, as discovered by Austrian physicist Victor Hess in 1912.
Satellites, radio communications, and even quantum computers have all been
found to be hampered by them, but we have no idea where they come from.
"This
also makes nova explosions a source of cosmic rays," David Green argues,
citing the discovery of gamma rays, which are associated to cosmic rays,
emerging from RS Ophiuchi by the Magic telescopes. "They do, however, tend
to play the role of local heroes, contributing primarily to the cosmic rays in
their immediate vicinity.
Supernova
remnants are the main sources of cosmic rays "Green adds to the
conversation. "When compared to novae, the shock fronts formed by stellar
explosions are significantly more violent." Following that, the authors of
the new report plan to use the MAGIC telescopes to observe comparable events
considerably closer to Earth in order to acquire a deeper understanding of the
mystery cosmic rays' origin.
Reference: Journal Nature Astronomy
0 Comments