Tech

Neutron star collisions in millimeter light were captured for the first time


Millimeter-wavelength light from the collision of a neutron star with another has been captured by researchers for the first time. The research team, led by astrophysicists from Northwestern University in the US and Radboud University in the Netherlands, has stated that the light emitted by this collision is one of the short gamma-ray bursts. (GRB) most energetic ever observed. The GRB, considered the most energetic explosion in the universe, can release more energy in seconds than the Sun has emitted in its entire existence.

They can happen when objects like stars collide, or a new black hole is formed. While six gamma-ray bursts like this have been observed before, they were all recorded at longer wavelengths.

However, with the use of the Atacama Large Millimeter / Millimeter Array (ALMA), an international observatory operated by the National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), scientists were able to record this GRB, marked as GRB 211106A, at millimeter wavelength.

“This short gamma-ray burst is the first time we have attempted to observe such an event with ALMA,” speak Northwestern’s Wen-fai Fong, principal investigator of the ALMA program.

Located in the Atacama Desert at the height of Chile, the ALMA array, consisting of 66 radio telescopes, is the largest such instrument in the world.

Fond added: “Firefires after short bursts are highly unlikely, so it was breathtaking to see this event shine so brightly. After years of observing these outbursts, the discovery was surprising. This has opened up a new area of ​​research.

Millimeter wavelengths, when combined with X-rays, can help better understand the true energy of the explosion. Since millimeter-wavelength emissions can be detected for a longer time than X-rays, they can also be used to determine the width of GRB rays.

Thanks to GRB 211106A’s radio and millimeter-wave detection capabilities, the researchers hope to be able to measure the jet’s opening angle. The data gathered there could be a breakthrough in learning more about extreme events and their effects on the surrounding space.




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