Credit: NASA.
Astronomers often make headings with news of water on other far-away worlds or fantastic deep-space observations– however that doesnt indicate that weve tired research study chances in our solar backyard. The sun continues to surprise us, regardless of centuries of research.
In a new research study, researchers led by Mehr Un Nisa, a postdoctoral research study associate at Michigan State University (MSU), have actually determined the highest-energy light ever found originating from the sun. This high-energy radiation, referred to as gamma rays, was discovered to be remarkably dynamic, exceeding researchers earlier predictions. At the moment the gamma rays were generated, the Suns activity was rather calm.
Brighter than expected– even for the Sun
Thats because HWAC is not your normal run-off-the-mill tube-shaped telescope with lenses and mirrors. Instead, HAWC is made up of a network of 300 big water tanks, each filled with around 200 metric tons of water. Placed at an elevation of over 13,000 feet above water level between 2 dormant volcano peaks in Mexico, HAWC has a tactical perspective.
A composite image reveals a picture of the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory in Mexico observing particles, whose paths are shown as red lines, created by high-energy gamma rays from the sun. Michigan State University scientists belonged to the group that observed those particles and gamma rays. Credit: Mehr Un Nisa.
When these cosmic rays approach the Suns surface area, they are right away deflected by the solar magnetic field. Upon rerouting away from the surface, these particles interact with gases in the suns environment, generating gamma rays.
Typically, the sun emits visible light with an energy of about 1 electron volt. However, the gamma rays detected by the team had energies of an incredible 1 trillion electron volts (1 TeV). This marks the very first time that scientists have detected gamma rays from the sun in order of TeV.
Studying cosmic rays and gamma rays is important for comprehending the most extreme phenomena in deep space, consisting of the velocity systems in high-energy astrophysical sources and the interactions of particles with extreme cosmic environments. To this objective, researchers use mathematical designs in order to anticipate the count of released photons with particular energies. Nature is often full of surprises, as this most current research study shows.
The research counted on information gathered by the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (HAWC). Unlike traditional observatories that mostly operate during the night, HAWC operates all the time. This constant operation permitted scientists to gather data that wasnt feasible a few years earlier.
” Other ground-based telescopes couldnt take a look at the sun since they just operate at night. Ours operates 24/7,” said Nisa.
When cosmic rays or gamma rays get in Earths environment, they collide with air particles, producing a waterfall of secondary particles. If these particles travel through the HAWC water tanks at speeds higher than the speed of light in water (the Cherenkov threshold), they emit faint flashes of blue light, referred to as Cherenkov radiation. Highly sensitive photomultiplier tubes inside the tanks capture and record these flashes, enabling scientists to reconstruct the energy, direction, and nature of the incoming particles.
HWAC had been online for six years when Nisa and coworkers observed an amazing excess of gamma rays in the solar observations., “When we initially saw it, we were like, We absolutely messed this up. The sun can not be this brilliant at these energies,” Nisa recalled.
Opening new avenues for solar research
Studying cosmic rays and gamma rays is essential for comprehending the most extreme phenomena in the universe, including the acceleration mechanisms in high-energy astrophysical sources and the interactions of particles with extreme cosmic environments. A composite image reveals a photograph of the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory in Mexico observing particles, whose paths are shown as red lines, produced by high-energy gamma rays from the sun. When cosmic rays or gamma rays go into Earths atmosphere, they collide with air particles, producing a cascade of secondary particles.
” This reveals that HAWC is adding to our knowledge of our galaxy at the greatest energies, and its opening up concerns about our really own sun,” Nisa stated. “Its making us see things in a various light. Literally.”
The findings appeared in the journal Physical Review Letters.
Upon redirecting away from the surface, these particles communicate with gases in the suns atmosphere, producing gamma rays.
At the moment the gamma rays were generated, the Suns activity was rather calm.
These high-energy gamma rays from the sun posture new concerns for researchers. There is still much we dont learn about the sun.
The flux of these rays exceeds the scientists predictions, suggesting an unexpectedly effective procedure of getting gamma rays through interactions between cosmic rays and the solar atmosphere. Additionally, the strength of TeV gamma rays exhibits an inverted connection with solar activity levels, recommending a connection in between the Suns magnetic field and the flux of these rays– an essential insight for future modeling undertakings.