A team of experts successfully discovered the origin of the most intensified cosmic ray called gamma rays. Despite being present and observable in our atmosphere, gamma rays hide their own origin.
Moreover, the extreme velocity of the protons that build gamma rays is still in question, as it is not possible for any cosmic material to move at such blinding speed. Through recent studies, scientists found that gamma rays are a collection of high acceleration of cosmic ray protons.
High Cosmic Ray Across the Universe
Cosmic rays are a collection of protons stripped from their respective electrons. In addition, cosmic rays can accelerate comparable to one of the fastest natural measurements in the entire universe: the speed of light.
However, even if gamma rays are seemingly familiar to us, there are still some aspects revolving around the matter that leave the experts baffled.
Some of the radiations we see on the planet's atmosphere did not originate from a single source. The theory of radiations coming from various bodies was established many years before, and the concept still works on today's radiation principles.
The variety of atmospheric radiations is behind the discovery of high-energy protons with missing atomic nuclei or the cosmic ray itself.
According to Universe Today, the University of Nagoya has conducted research in order for the gamma ray mysteries to be solved. For the first time, the institute's scientists were able to quantify the gamma rays emitted in a cluster of a supernova remnant. The results from Nagoya's study solved the long-running questions about the gamma ray's origin that has been blurred for the astronomical society in the past century.
The whole coverage of the gamma ray study was published in The Astrophysical Journal, titled "Pursuing the Origin of the Gamma Rays in RX J1713.7-3946 Quantifying the Hadronic and Leptonic Components."
Origin of Gamma Rays Identified
The origin of gamma rays had been a topic for a number of studies before. It has been theorized that the emission of gamma rays can be traced back from the sun, quasars, gamma ray bursts, and supernovas.
The discovery of cosmic rays in 1912 sparked the scientific community's interest in understanding more about the intangible material. The most plausible theory of the gamma ray's origin is the acceleration near the speed of light brought by the aftermath of a massive stellar explosion known as the supernova remnant.
Gamma ray bursts or GRB is another contender alongside supernova remnants that have the potential to be the initial source of cosmic rays. This is due to the effect of the interaction between photons and the interstellar medium, which is frequently in the form of Cosmic Microwave Background or CMB.
To find the source that fits the origin of the gamma rays, the researchers compared the astronomical materials through the features and compositions they are comprised with. The key approach of the study was through a newly developed method that can read and analyze measurements of the cosmic source across the void of space.
According to the results, the large contributors to the gamma ray composition are the protons and electrons, with over 70/30 split, respectively. The findings suggest that gamma ray photons are extremely abundant back in the interstellar regions. On the other hand, the gamma ray electrons dominate regions with a scarcity of gas.
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