Researchers detect extremely high-energy gamma rays

Chinese researchers have made a record-breaking discovery in the spectrum of the most energetic gamma-ray burst ever observed. One of the lines has two ends 37 million electron volts (Me in).

Gamma ray bursts are intense explosions of electromagnetic radiation. You are likely to experience events like these. Supernova Sparks. Gamma-ray bursts are very bright, but short-lived – they shine for a few seconds to several minutes. When measuring lightning, a spectrum of high- and low-energy photons is measured. They range from 1 keV to the MeV range. For comparison: visible light is included 2 to 3 eV.

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“The brightest ever”

Chinese researchers Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has now analyzed data from a gamma-ray burst measured in 2022. It has been dubbed the “boat(The brightest ever). It is said to be the brightest gamma-ray burst in recent times. 10,000 years I reached the ground.

The researchers used measurements of JICAM-C (High-Energy Gravitational Wave Electromagnetic Analogue for All-Sky Observation) and des Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope NASA

The latter suffered from data failure because GRB 221009A was so high-energy. This had previously made it difficult to measure spectral lines accurately. Since GECAM-C continued to operate, the researchers used its data to correct the Fermi data. This allowed them to construct the spectrum of the gamma-ray burst.

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The energy of the standard spectral line ranged from 37 MeV until 6 MeVThe energy decreases during the duration of a gamma burst. This is the highest energy ever emitted by an object into space.

International research team observes additional increase in energy

In parallel discover one International Team Based on the same Fermi data, another peculiarity of the spectral lines. About 5 minutes after the explosion, a 40 seconds The continuous abnormal increase in energy was measured. He had peak energy. 12 megavolt.

Researchers suspect that these outbreaks occur when… Electrons On their antiparticles, Positronscorresponds. The collision cancels each other out and produces a pair of gamma rays. Conversely, two gamma rays can collide and produce an electron and a positron.

For the measured energy burst to occur, the speed of the gamma ray flash must be 99.9 percent Traveling at the speed of light. This is the first time that scientists have gained a simple idea of ​​what happens inside gamma-ray bursts. The results of their research were Published in Science Magazine.