MessageToEagle.com - Very detailed new observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the remains
of a thousand-year-old supernova have revealed clues to the origins of cosmic rays.
For the first time the observations suggest the presence of fast-moving particles in the supernova remnant that
could be the precursors of such cosmic rays.
In the year 1006 a new star was seen in the southern skies and widely recorded around the world. It was many times
brighter than the planet Venus and may even have rivaled the brightness of the Moon. It was so bright at maximum that
it cast shadows and it was visible during the day.
VLT/VIMOS observations of the shock front in the remnant of the supernova SN 1006. Credits: ESO
VLT/VIMOS observations of the shock front in the remnant of the supernova SN 1006. Credits: ESO
More recently astronomers have identified the site of this supernova
and named it SN 1006. They have also found a glowing and expanding ring of material in the southern constellation of
Lupus (The Wolf) that constitutes the remains of the vast explosion.
It has long been suspected that such supernova remnants may also be where some cosmic rays — very high energy
particles originating outside the Solar System and travelling at close to the speed of light — are formed. But
until now the details of how this might happen have been a long-standing mystery.
A team of astronomers led by Sladjana Nikolic' (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany) has
now used the VIMOS instrument on the VLT to look at the one-thousand-year-old SN 1006 remnant in more detail
than ever before.
They wanted to study what is happening where high-speed material ejected by the supernova is
ploughing into the stationary interstellar matter — the shock front.
This expanding high-velocity shock front is similar to the sonic boom produced by an aircraft going supersonic
and is a natural candidate for a cosmic particle accelerator.
For the first time the team has not just obtained information about the shock material at one point, but also built
up a map of the properties of the gas, and how these properties change across the shock front. This has provided
vital clues to the mystery.
Click on image to enlarge
The remnant of the supernova SN 1006 seen at many different wavelengths. Credits: ESO
The results were a surprise — they suggest that there were many very rapidly moving protons in the gas in the shock region.
While these are not the sought-for high-energy cosmic rays themselves, they could be the necessary “seed particles”,
which then go on to interact with the shock front material to reach the extremely high energies required and fly off
into space as cosmic rays.
“This is the first time we were able to take a detailed look at what is happening in and around a
supernova shock front. We found evidence that there is a region that is being heated in just the way one would expect
if there were protons carrying away energy from directly behind the shock front,” Nikolic' explains.
The study was the first to use an integral field spectrograph [3] to probe the properties of the shock fronts of
supernova remnants in such detail. The team now is keen to apply this method to other remnants.
“This kind of novel observational approach could well be the key to solving the puzzle of how cosmic rays are
produced in supernova remnants,” co-author Glenn van de Ven of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, concludes.
The results are appearing in the 14 February 2013 issue of the journal Science.
Teenage Girl Develops Cell Phone That Tests Your Heart
Catherine Wong is a 17-year-old high school student from New Jersey who she is already making a name for herself in both the science
and technology communities. Wong has developed a Bluetooth-enabled device that allows for remote cardiac examination.
No More Zoo Of Broken 3D Printed Objects -
A New Software Will Give Them Strength!
Objects created using 3-D printing have a common flaw: They are fragile and often fall apart or lose their shape.
"I have an entire zoo of broken 3-D printed objects in my office," said Bedrich Benes, an associate professor of computer graphics at Purdue University.
Become A Rocket Scientist And Space Cargo Pilot
With NASA's Free HIAD App!
Have you ever wanted to become a rocket scientist or space cargo pilot? How about mixing space science with a game?
Want to try your hand at landing an inflatable spacecraft? All you need is a smart phone, a computer or a tablet.
MessageToEagle.com - Very detailed new observations with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the remains
of a thousand-year-old supernova have revealed clues to the origins of cosmic rays.
All across the world there are people who love to stand outside and photograph the best our beautiful night sky has to offer.
Sometimes they can wait for hours just to take that one perfect shot! The results of these peoples' efforts...
The possibility of time travel have fascinated mankind for ages. We are all familiar with
the concept of the time machine, from H.G. Wells to current sci-fi writers, and there are physicists who say we cannot rule out time travel.
Catherine Wong is a 17-year-old high school student from New Jersey who she is already making a name for herself in both the science
and technology communities. Wong has developed a Bluetooth-enabled device that allows for remote cardiac examination.
Objects created using 3-D printing have a common flaw: They are fragile and often fall apart or lose their shape.
"I have an entire zoo of broken 3-D printed objects in my office," said Bedrich Benes, an associate professor of computer graphics at Purdue University.
Have you ever wanted to become a rocket scientist or space cargo pilot? How about mixing space science with a game?
Want to try your hand at landing an inflatable spacecraft? All you need is a smart phone, a computer or a tablet.
