New Type of Gamma Ray Bursts That Can Destroy Stars Discovered

Scientists have discovered a cosmic explosion of gamma rays that lasted several hours instead of common minutes-long gamma ray bursts. Gamma ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the universe

Gamma rays are the highest form of light. They have the highest energy level, they can have over a billion times the energy of visible light.

There are different forms of light, different ranges of radiation levels on the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. It starts with the lowest energy level which are radio waves then to microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays and gamma rays at the end with the highest energy level. They are so powerful that they can pass right through any lens or mirror.

Gamma rays are harmful if it reaches the Earth's surface. The atmosphere protects the Earth from gamma rays burning up the planet. These rays are produced by high energy interstellar objects like neutron stars, pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes.

In the image above is an artist's impression of gamma rays created by stars. The blue star in the background, called a Wolf Rayet star, is the progenitor of a standard long duration gamma-ray burst. It is about the same size as the Sun but has ten times more mass. The star in front is the suggested progenitor of an ultra-long gamma-ray burst (GRB). It is a thousand times larger than the Sun and is twenty times more massive. In both cases the GRB is produced by a jet punching through the star, but in the case of the ultra-long GRBs the much larger size of the star creates a much longer lived jet.

Cosmic Rays Confirmed To Originate From Supernovas In Two Separate Announcements

When stars explode, the supernovas send off shock waves, which accelerate protons to cosmic-ray energies through a process known as Fermi acceleration. In this mechanism, named for Enrico Fermi who first hypothesized it, the protons gain energy from collisions with turbulent magnetic fields on either side of a shock wave. Though many details of Fermi acceleration remain unknown, new results from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope provide overwhelming evidence that the mechanism is indeed responsible for producing many of the galaxy's cosmic ray protons.
Credit: Greg Stewart, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

In two separate announcements (and two separate studies), the European Southern Observatory and the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at the Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory confirmed that cosmic rays come from exploding stars or supernovas.

Cosmic rays are high energy particles from space. These particles travel at close to the speed of light and originate from outside the Solar System. They have very high energy that they can penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and even through solid rock at the surface. Prior to the announcement, its origin and how it was formed has been a mystery.

The ESO together with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg Germany, used the VIMOS Equipment on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to study SN 1006, a supernova first observed in the year 1006, to gather data and base their discovery of the cosmic ray mystery. Their study, An Integral View of Fast Shocks around Supernova 1006, is appearing in the 14 February 2013 issue of the journal Science.

The Kavli Institute, NASA, and Stanford University used the Large Area Telescope (LAT), which sits onboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to base their findings. They used the telescope to study two supernova remnants, IC 433 and W44. Both are located within the Milky Way with IC 443 5,000 light years away from Earth in the constellation Gemini, and W44 is located about 10,000 light years away, in the constellation of Aquila. Their study, Detection of the Characteristic Pion-Decay Signature in Supernova Remnants, will be appearing in the February 15 2013 issue of the journal Science.

Deep Space Travel Can Be Harmful To The Brain Due To Cosmic Radiation

ISS View of an Aurora Caused By A Geomagnetic Storm From The Sun

Study shows that exposure to galactic cosmic radiation from deep space travel can cause harmful biological processes and changes to the brain such as cognitive impairments and Alzheimer's disease.

Outer space is not as serene as it looks. It is full of radiation. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause rapid sunburn and skin cancer. During solar flare activity, x-rays, gamma-rays, and energetic particles that can cause radiation sickness are ejected from the Sun and shot into space.

Without proper protection such as UV protection and a solar flare shelter, astronauts would be in constant danger.

Aside from the Sun, there is also radiation from outer space. These are produced from exploding stars and other objects, and unlike radiation from the Sun (which usually peaks during solar flares and storms), cosmic radiation is constant and continuous.

On a side note, the comic book Fantastic Four, chronicles the adventures of four superheroes who gained superpowers through cosmic ray exposure in outer space. The Fantastic Four experienced changes that granted them superhuman ability from the exposure to the radiation.

Nothing can be further from the truth. In reality, the effects on real life astronauts may be the opposite.

Previous NASA studies have shown that cosmic radiation increases the risk of cancer and that according to their estimates, for every week of exposure in a cosmic ray environment will shorten life expectancy by about a day (more if cancer sets in).

This sets up a problem when planning deep space missions, specially to Mars. Scientists are busy trying to study what other effects cosmic rays have on the human body in deep space travel and how to mitigate these.