The strongest gamma rays in the universe are up to 37 MeV

 This gamma ray line is emitted from an extremely bright gamma ray burst. The information was announced by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on July 25.

Gamma rays are the highest energy type of electromagnetic radiation in the universe. And gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are also the most powerful explosions in the universe, usually created by the collision of two compact stars such as a neutron star and a black hole or the core collapse of a massive star.

The strongest gamma rays in the universe are up to 37 MeV Picture 1

Scientists have discovered that this gamma ray line follows an exponential function over time, which is an important clue that helps them decode its mystery.

The gamma ray line discovered by Chinese scientists is related to the brightest gamma ray burst of all time named GRB 221009A, which reached Earth on October 9, 2022. Many telescopes worldwide observed the event, facilitating detailed data collection and analysis.

Observational data from two space gamma-ray detectors, GECAM-C and Fermi/GBM, were collected by researchers from IHEP, CAS Yunnan Observatory, Hebei Normal University and Quy Normal University. Chau analyzed carefully. Fermi/GBM monitors the high-energy range in which the gamma-ray stream appears, while GECAM-C precisely measures the low-energy spectral range of the GRB.

However, the Fermi/GBM detector lost data due to bright gamma ray bursts, making data analysis very difficult. GECAM-C, due to its device design, has no such problem and the data it collects is used to calibrate data from Fermi/GBM.

The team obtained the GRB spectrum after conducting a thorough analysis of two data sources, instrument effects and modeling. They identified a series of gamma ray lines throughout the explosion, including one gamma ray line with an energy of up to 37 million electron volts.

Lesley Montoya

Update 27 July 2024