Scientists recently caught a neutron star's tail-end that smashed into its stellar neighbor, a university statement recently announced.
A Futurism report specified that the resulting explosive jet was extremely powerful. It exploded a gamma ray burst or GRB that possibly released more energy in a few seconds than this planet's Sun will in its lifetime.
It triggered one of the most powerful explosions in the universe. https://t.co/G5JbIKgvJ6
— Futurism (@futurism) August 3, 2022
With that kind of power, GRBs are the most energetic explosions scientists know of and are believed to be accountable for creating the heaviest elements in the universe, such as platinum and gold.
Now, for the first time, a short-period GRB designated GRB 211106A has been caught in millimeter light using ALMA or the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.
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Gamma-ray-burst-illustration
Short Duration GRBs
According to Northwestern University assistant professor Wen-fai Fong, also co-author of a new study slated for publication in the upcoming Astrophysical Journal Letters, this short gamma-ray burst was the first time they tried to observe such an occurrence using ALMA.
GRBs, those that have a short duration, in particular, are extremely difficult to capture. According to the researchers, only six have been captured ever, and even then, just in radio wavelengths.
Fong also explained that afterglows for brief bursts are quite challenging. Therefore, capturing such an event that shines so brightly was spectacular.
Although catching GRBs at millimeter wavelengths may seem like a tiny distinction to a layman, it is quite a big deal, explained the scientists.
Binary Neutron Stars
Ruoco Escorial, the co-author of the study, said that what makes GRB 21106A extra special is it is not just the first short-duration GRB ever detected in this particular wavelength, but also, because of the millimeter and radio detention, the researchers could gauge the opening angle of the jet, as well.
This is very important to infer the actual rates of short GRBs in the universe and to compare them with the binary neutron stars' rates or the neutron star and black hole mergers.
Using the millimeter data, researchers can start computing just how often these cosmic bursts take place, a fascinating glimpse into some of the most energetic occurrences in the known universe.
Understanding the Essentiality of Millimeters
The short-duration GRB typically lasts only a few tenths of each second. After fading, researchers look for an afterglow, a light emission caused by the jets' interaction with the surrounding gas.
Even still, short-duration GRBs are quite hard to detect. Half a dozen short-duration GRBs have been spotted at radio wavelengths, and until now, nothing has been detected in millimeter wavelengths.
The university's statement specified that according to Genevieve Schroeder, the study's co-author and a graduate student in the research group of Fong, millimeter wavelengths could tell scientists about the environment's density around the GRB.
She added that when combined with the X-rays, these millimeters can tell them about the actual energy of the explosion.
Since emission at millimeter wavelengths can be identified for a longer period than in X-rays, the millimeter emission can also be used to determine the width of the GRB jet.
Related information about Neutron Stars is shown on TheSimplySpace's YouTube video below:
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