Astronomers managed to fix the event of the death of a large star. The release of the explosion took 40 seconds in June 2016, spilling out the amount of energy that the Sun created its entire life.
Quick response
Gamma rays hit the lenses of two NASA satellites that look through the skies in search of similar events (Fermi and Swift). Satellite observatories were connected to the survey and identified the source.
The first minutes were observed with the MASTER-IRC telescope in the Canary Islands. He recorded optical light while the initial stage was active. Next, connect RATIR.
This shows the most common type of gamma-ray bursts that form when a massive star is destroyed. As a result, it creates a black hole and explodes in jets of particles with the speed of light. Scientists have built a similar example - GRB160625B. The analysis showed the main features of the initial rapid phase and the evolution of large jets
After 8.5 hours, the Sun rose so that it overshadowed the event. We had to wait until the telescope rises above the horizon and the scientists observed the afterglow. This is a fading explosion when the rays hit the surrounding stellar environment.
The RATIR camera receives images in six colors (2 optical and 4 near IR).
Secret Rays of Energy
Half a century has already been known about gamma-ray bursts, but it is still unknown how they flare up. They are found once a day, but they are brief types. Can last from tens of milliseconds to a minute.
Scientists think that most explosions come from supernovae. This happens when a massive star completes its existence with a large-scale explosion. The outer layers are thrown into space, and the core becomes a neutron star or a black hole.
RATIR watched the event for several weeks and noted that the gamma rays were shot 2 degrees wide.
Magnetic Focus
Researchers believe that gamma rays are caused by high-energy electrons pushed out in the form of a fireball. Also must be present and magnetic fields. The polarization of the rays is controlled by the strength of the magnetic fields. Its calculation will help to unravel the processes that accelerate particles to the highest energies.
In a specific example, scientists were able to measure the polarization in a few minutes, which previously did not work. A huge amount of polarization supports the model of the magnetic origin of gamma-ray bursts.
