On May 22, 2020, light from a titanic explosion deep in space reached Earth.
Im still going to need your insurance information… Gamma rays have the highest frequency of all known forms of electromagnetic radiation.
However, this display radiated energy throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.
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However, this was not what astronomers found as they watched the aftermath of the GRB 200522A explosion.
Our study shows that its possible that, for this particular short gamma-ray burst, the heavy object survived.
In a champagne kilonova in the sky…
The collision of a pair ofneutron starsis thought to have two main phases following the explosion.
This is followed by the kilonova glow of moving particles swirling around the region of space surrounding the collision.
Kilonovae can be 1,000 times brighter than a typical supernova explosion.
Only one such confirmed event has been seen before this latest display in 2017.
These observations do not fit traditional explanations for short gamma-ray bursts.
Given what we know about the radio and X-rays from this blast, it just doesnt match up.
The near-infrared emission that were finding with Hubble is way too bright,said Fong.
Such a process could have resulted in the release of vast amounts of electromagnetic radiation, the study suggests.
Keck Observatory, and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope online grid.
Just around two dozen magnetars have been discovered so far.
We only have one confirmed and well-sampled kilonova to date.
So it is especially exciting to find a new potential kilonova that looks so different.
The team also suggested two other possible processes that could have formed the magnificent burst seen from GRB 200522A.
Or, unknown methods of radioactive decay might be responsible for the display.
However, the team believes astronomers are, in fact, seeing the creation of a magnetar.
This article was originally published onThe Cosmic CompanionbyJames Maynard, founder and publisher of The Cosmic Companion.
you might read this original piecehere.
Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companionis also available as a weekly podcast, carried on all major podcast providers.
