SN 1006: Pieces of the Cosmic Ray Puzzle
Credit & Copyright: E. Gotthelf (GSFC),
The ASCA Project,
NASA
Explanation:
Research balloon flights conducted in 1912 by Austrian physicist Victor Hess
revealed that the Earth was constantly bombarded by high energy
radiation from space - which
came to be called "Cosmic Rays".
What are Cosmic Rays and where do they come from?
They are now known to be mostly subatomic particles - predominantly
protons and electrons -
but their origin is a long standing mystery.
After almost a century of study,
this cosmic puzzle may have been at least partially solved by new
X-ray images and spectra from the
ASCA satellite observatory.
Pieced together to show the region around a star observed to go
supernova in 1006 AD, the overlapping X-ray
snapshots above
(seen in false color) reveal the bright rims of
the exploded star's still expanding blast wave.
These ASCA observations show for the
first time that the energy spectrum of the bright regions is like that
produced by extremely high energy electrons
streaming through a magnetic field at nearly the speed of light.
If (as expected) high energy protons are associated with
these energetic electrons
then supernova remnants like SN 1006 are sources of Hess'
puzzling Cosmic Rays.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
