Cosmic Fireworks: The Mystery of Gamma-Ray Bursts
Gamma-ray bursts are intense flashes of energy that illuminate the cosmos. First detected in the late 1960s, these bursts are a relatively recent discovery in space science. They are short-lived, lasting from a fraction of a second to a few thousand seconds.
Causes of Gamma-ray Bursts
These bursts are triggered by extreme cosmic events:
- Massive Star Collapse: When a star much heavier than our Sun sheds its outer layers.
- Neutron Star Collisions: When two dense neutron stars collide and merge.
These events release a tremendous amount of energy in the form of gamma rays.
A Surprising Discovery
Scientists have been studying these bursts for decades. Recently, a team of astronomers made a stunning discovery: a gamma-ray burst that lasted nearly a full day. This shatters the previous record of about 6 hours. Even more surprising, this burst produced multiple flashes of gamma rays.
Theories Behind the Discovery
The team has proposed a theory to explain this phenomenon:
- A "disruption event" near a black hole.
- An object passing too close to a black hole, being torn apart.
- The material from the object forming a disk around the black hole, creating conditions for a long-lasting gamma-ray burst.
Gamma-ray Bursts on Earth
Gamma-ray bursts are not exclusive to space. They can also occur on Earth, such as through radioactive decay and lightning strikes. However, the burst discovered by the team was billions of light-years away, making it incredibly powerful.
The Discovery
The team used the "Very Large Telescope" in Chile to make this discovery. This powerful telescope allows astronomers to study distant objects in the universe. The memory of this discovery will stay with the team for a long time.
