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What causes gamma ray bursts?
So it seems that most gamma ray bursts originate in a narrow beam of intense radiation released during a supernova or hypernova as a rapidly rotating, high-mass star collapses to form a neutron star, quark star, or black hole. And supernovae, for the record, typically outshine entire galaxies.
What produces the afterglow of a gamma ray burst?
It is believed that the afterglow originates in the external shock produced as the blast wave from the explosion collides with and sweeps up material in the surrounding interstellar medium. The emission is synchrotron emission produced when electrons are accelerated in the presence of a magnetic field.
What are gamma ray bursts?
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are short-lived bursts of gamma-ray light, the most energetic form of light. Lasting anywhere from a few milliseconds to several minutes, GRBs shine hundreds of times brighter than a typical supernova and about a million trillion times as bright as the Sun.
Do supernovae create gamma ray bursts?
The explosion of a supernova provides some additional energy that is not present in the core of the star, in particular the supernova kinetic energy. It also provides the opportunity for certain sites to become extremely hot.
What are the two known sources of gamma-ray bursts?
The intense radiation of most observed GRBs is thought to be released during a supernova or superluminous supernova as a high-mass star implodes to form a neutron star or a black hole. A subclass of GRBs (the “short” bursts) appear to originate from the merger of binary neutron stars.
How are gamma rays produced?
Gamma rays originate from the settling process of an excited nucleus of a radionuclide after it undergoes radioactive decay whereas X-rays are produced when electrons strike a target or when electrons rearrange within an atom.
What would happen if gamma ray burst hit Earth?
With the gamma-rays beamed directly at Earth, the radiation would destroy a significant portion of our atmosphere, specifically the ozone layer. Then there are the lethal doses of radiation that surface life would experience. The end result would be mass extinctions of most species of life on our planet.
Where do gamma-ray bursts tend to come from quizlet?
All gamma ray bursts are produced by supernovae. They occur in the same types of close binary systems that produce X-ray bursts. All those that we have detected occurred in distant galaxies.
What elements produce gamma rays?
Gamma Ray. The gamma ray signal detected in wireline logs is derived primarily from the naturally occurring radioactive elements uranium, potassium-40, and thorium. It has been long known that source rocks are often “hot” zones on gamma ray logs.
Are gamma rays made up of photons?
A gamma ray (g) is a packet of electromagnetic energy (photon) emitted by the nucleus of some radionuclides following radioactive decay. Gamma photons are the most energetic photons in the electromagnetic spectrum.