Ohio State University | 2015 Apr 10
Finding sets the stage for discoveries from the next generation of neutrino telescopes
A new study provides an inside look at the most powerful explosions in the universe: gamma-ray bursts.
These rare explosions happen when extremely massive stars go supernova. The stars’ strong magnetic fields channel most of the explosion’s energy into two powerful plasma jets, one at each magnetic pole. The jets spray energetic particles for light-years in both directions, at close to light speed.
On Earth, we detect bits of the resulting debris as gamma rays. Researchers also suspect—but haven’t been able to prove conclusively—that GRBs are the source of at least some of the cosmic rays and neutrinos that pepper our planet from space.
Now, physicists at The Ohio State University and their colleagues have begun to answer that question. By building some of the most detailed computer simulations ever made of a GRB jet’s internal structure, they have been able to model particle production inside of it.
Their finding —that the non-uniform internal structure of the jets is key to determining the emission of the different kinds of astroparticles— also raises new questions that can be answered only by the next generation of neutrino telescopes. ...
Neutrino and cosmic-ray emission from multiple internal shocks in gamma-ray bursts - Mauricio Bustamante et al
- Nature Communications 6 6783 (10 Apr 2015) DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7783
arXiv.org > astro-ph > arXiv:1409.2874 > 09 Sep 2014