GRB010222: Gamma Ray Burst, X Ray Afterglow
Explanation:
A
fading afterglow from one of the most powerful explosions
in the universe is centered in this
false
color image from the spacebased
Chandra X-ray Observatory.
The cosmic explosion, an enormously bright
gamma-ray
burst (GRB), originated in a galaxy billions
of light-years away and was detected by the
BeppoSAX
satellite on February 22.
GRB010222
was visible for only a few seconds at
gamma-ray energies, but its afterglow
was
followed for days by x-ray, optical, infrared and radio instruments.
These Chandra observations of the GRB's
x-ray glow hours after
the initial explosion suggest an expanding fireball of material
moving at near light speed has hit a wall of relatively dense gas.
While the true nature of gamma-ray bursters remains unknown,
the mounting evidence from
GRB afterglows does indicate that
the cosmic blasts may be
hypernovae -- the
death explosions of very massive, short-lived stars
embedded in active star forming regions.
As the
hypernova
blasts sweep up dense clouds of material in the
crowded star forming regions they may also trigger more
star formation.
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.
