This artists impression portrays a white dwarf star discovered in the closest known orbit around a black hole. NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered this extremely close binary in 47 Tucanae, a thick cluster of stars on the edge of the Milky Way. Each year, astronomers from around the world follow a carefully competitive process to get Chandra time. During its more than two years in space, the telescope has actually reinvented the field of X-ray astronomy.
This survey enables astronomers to observe a large number of stars, opening up brand-new chances to study stellar advancement, galactic characteristics, and variable stars.
Illustration of NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory in space. Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO.
Each year, astronomers from around the globe follow a rigorously competitive process to get Chandra time. The telescope was introduced aboard the space shuttle bus Columbia in 1999 and orbits Earth, providing previously not available views of deep space at wavelengths that are not accessible from ground telescopes. Throughout its more than 20 years in area, the telescope has reinvented the field of X-ray astronomy.
” The essence is to study nearby star-forming galaxies,” Antoniou said. “It offers us a chance to study analogs of much more far-off galaxies, yet clearly outside our Milky Way galaxy.”.
ESOs VISTA telescope exposes an amazing image of the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of our nearby stellar neighbors. This study allows astronomers to observe a large number of stars, opening up new opportunities to study stellar evolution, stellar dynamics, and variable stars.
The program concentrates on the Large Magellanic Cloud, the nearby star-forming galaxy which orbits the Milky Way at around 160,000 light-years from Earth.
Antoniou, also the director of the Preston Gott Skyview Observatory about 15 miles north of Lubbock, was awarded one mega-second of Chandra telescope time, which relates to approximately 11.5 days (a mega-second is 1 million seconds).
Her proposal in the Very Large Program (VLP) classification was authorized for the particular seeing cycle in late June. Because the VLP category was initially introduced in 2017, only seven VLPs have been awarded time from amongst the 64 proposed.
Vallia Antoniou, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas Tech. Credit: Texas Tech.
Early findings must be offered to the general public late this summertime, she said.
Her research focuses on understanding the formation and advancement of X-ray binaries in various galactic environments. The sheer distances included can hamper this work, making access to powerful telescopes essential.
” Chandras proposal choice process is highly competitive, and Vallias research study program was the only VLP authorized out of nine submitted in Cycle 24,” said Sung-Won Lee, chair of the physics and astronomy department. “This task is a global partnership of researchers, and I am extremely delighted that our very own faculty is acknowledged worldwide and will lead this essential scientific mission.”.
Antoniou said the granted telescope time should provide the team extra insights into the populations of stellar remnants such as pulsars and great voids and their behavior when they consume the stars orbiting them (so-called X-ray binaries).”.
The group has picked 10 areas of the Large Magellanic Cloud, focusing on areas of the galaxy that they anticipate to have high X-ray binary development rates, which in turn will offer a deeper understanding of the system and stars. The program completes an effort started by Antoniou studying the smaller sized sibling of the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Small Magellanic Cloud, which was awarded time as a Chandra X-Ray Visionary Program.
” This is another good example that our department is performing really competitive research study globally,” Lee said.
This artists impression portrays a white dwarf star found in the closest recognized orbit around a black hole. NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory found this extraordinarily close binary in 47 Tucanae, a thick cluster of stars on the edge of the Milky Way.
A Texas Tech astronomer is leading a group granted a highly competitive Chandra program to study the outstanding residues in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Vallia Antoniou, an assistant teacher of practice in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas Tech, has actually been awarded observing time on the powerful Chandra X-Ray Telescope to explore some of the deepest recesses of deep space.
It marks the 2nd major Chandra program led by Antoniou, who is also a research study relate to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.