Artists impression of GRB 211211A. Scientists have actually connected this uncommon gamma-ray burst from a nearby galaxy to a neutron star merger. Credit: Soheb Mandhai @TheAstroPhoenix
An unusually powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB 211211A), identified from a neighboring galaxy, has been connected to a neutron star merger by a worldwide group of researchers. This burst, notable for its excess of infrared light, was revealed to originate from a kilonova, an event believed to occur when neutron stars collide.
Scientists have actually linked an extremely unusual blast of high-energy light from a close-by galaxy to a neutron star merger.
The event, found in December 2021 by NASAs Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, was a gamma-ray burst– a profoundly energetic explosion that can last from a few milliseconds to several hours.
This gamma-ray burst, identified as GRB 211211A, continued for approximately a minute– a reasonably lengthy surge, which would normally signify the collapse of a huge star into a supernova. This event included an excess of infrared light and was much fainter and faster-fading than a classical supernova, hinting that something different was going on.
New Findings and Study
In a recent research study, published in the journal Nature, an international group of researchers showed that the infrared light detected in the burst came from a kilonova. This is an uncommon occasion, thought to be generated as neutron stars, or a neutron star and a great void clash, producing heavy components such as gold and platinum. Hence far, these events, called kilonovae, have actually just been associated with gamma-ray bursts with periods of less than two seconds.
The work was led by Jillian Rastinejad at Northwestern University in the US along with physicists from the University of Birmingham and the University of Leicester in the UK, and Radboud University in The Netherlands.
Implications of the Findings
Dr. Matt Nicholl, an Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham, designed the kilonova emission. “We discovered that this one occasion produced about 1,000 times the mass of the Earth in really heavy elements. This supports the idea that these kilonovae are the main factories of gold in deep space,” he stated.
Although up to 10 percent of long gamma-ray bursts are believed to be caused by the combining of neutron stars or neutron stars and black holes, no firm proof– in the form of kilonovae– had formerly been identified.
Dr. Gavin Lamb, a post-doctoral scientist at the University of Leicester, discussed: “A gamma-ray burst is followed by an afterglow that can last numerous days. These afterglows behave in a really characteristic manner, and by modeling them we can expose any additional emission components, such as a supernova or a kilonova.”
Significance of GRB 211211A
The kilonova produced by GRB 211211A is the closest to have actually been discovered without gravitational waves, and has exciting ramifications for the upcoming gravitational wave observation run, beginning in 2023. Its proximity in a neighboring galaxy only 1 billion light years away offered researchers the opportunity to study the homes of the merger in unmatched detail.
An associated paper from the same partnership in Nature Astronomy, led by Dr. Benjamin Gompertz, Assistant Professor at the University of Birmingham, describes a few of these residential or commercial properties.
Insights Gained From GRB 211211A
In specific, the group determined how the jet of high-energy electrons, traveling at nearly the speed of light and causing the gamma-ray burst, altered with time. The cooling down of this jet was revealed to be accountable for the long-lasting GRB emission.
In the paper, the group likewise described how close observation of GRB 211211A can provide fascinating insights into other previously unusual gamma-ray bursts which have appeared not to fit with basic analyses.
Dr. Gompertz stated: “This was a remarkable GRB. Its possible the habits might be described by a long-lasting neutron star, however we cant rule out that what we saw was a neutron star being ripped apart by a black hole.
” Studying more of these occasions will help us figure out which is the detailed information and the right answer we gained from GRB 211211A will be indispensable for this analysis.”
Referral: “The case for a minute-long merger-driven gamma-ray burst from fast-cooling synchrotron emission” by Benjamin P. Gompertz, Maria Edvige Ravasio, Matt Nicholl, Andrew J. Levan, Brian D. Metzger, Samantha R. Oates, Gavin P. Lamb, Wen-fai Fong, Daniele B. Malesani, Jillian C. Rastinejad, Nial R. Tanvir, Philip A. Evans, Peter G. Jonker, Kim L. Page and Asaf Peer, 7 December 2022, Nature Astronomy.DOI: 10.1038/ s41550-022-01819-4.
The work was moneyed by the European Research Council under the KilonovaRank job, which utilizes the power of Big Data in examining large cosmic events.
Scientists have actually connected this unusual gamma-ray burst from a close-by galaxy to a neutron star merger. In a current study, published in the journal Nature, an international team of researchers showed that the infrared light detected in the burst came from a kilonova. This is a rare event, thought to be produced as neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole clash, producing heavy elements such as gold and platinum. Therefore far, these events, called kilonovae, have actually just been associated with gamma-ray bursts with durations of less than two seconds.
Its possible the behavior could be described by a lasting neutron star, however we cant rule out that what we saw was a neutron star being ripped apart by a black hole.