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The VERITAS network has confirmed the detection of high energy gamma rays near a supermassive black hole located in a far galaxy, TXS 0506 + 056. Although these detections are relatively common for VERITAS, this black hole is potentially the first known astrophysical source of high-energy cosmic neutrinos, a type of ghostly subatomic particle that can be made from astrophysical sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays
. The University of Utah is one of the founding collaborating institutions of the VERITAS Observatory. Co-author Dave Kieda, professor of physics and astronomy and Dean of the U U, led the design, construction and upgrade of VERITAS that gave the company the opportunity to learn more about it. instrument an increased sensitivity to gamma rays of lower energy critical for discovery. Anushka Udara Abeysekara, assistant professor of research in physics and astronomy at the U, is also co-author on paper
"It's the first time we see high energy gamma rays and neutrinos generated by a common astrophysics.This is proof that near and far galaxies with supermassive black holes in their centers are actively creating high energy cosmic rays, "said Kieda." This is one of the pieces of the puzzle needed to solve the mystery from which these cosmic rays originate. "
The University of Utah also operates the Telescope Array cosmic ray observatory based in Delta, Utah In 2015, the University of Utah Telescope Array Group identified a potential hot spot of ultra-high energy cosmic rays originating from a vast region of the sky containing many potential sources of cosmic rays. e Since the magnetic field of our galaxy curves the trajectory of incoming cosmic particles, the Array telescope is unable to identify an individual galaxy as the origin of high energy cosmic rays.
The discovery of VERITAS gamma rays, in combination with the ICECUBE neutrino detection, provides a way to directly identify a single galaxy as a source of high energy cosmic rays. This "multi-messenger" approach to astronomy – using joint observations of neutrinos, gamma rays, x-rays and cosmic rays – provides a major breakthrough in understanding the astrophysical origin of the particles the more energetic from the universe
. "The era of multi-messenger astrophysics is here," said France Cordova, director of the National Science Foundation. "Each messenger – electromagnetic radiation, gravitational waves, and now neutrinos – gives us a more complete understanding of the universe, and new important insights into the most powerful objects and events in the sky. are possible only through a long-term commitment to basic research and investment in superb research facilities. "
VERITAS provides essential piece to neutrino discovery puzzle
The VERITAS network has confirmed the detection of gamma rays near a supermassive black hole. Although these detections are relatively common at VERITAS, this black hole is potentially the first known astrophysical source of high-energy cosmic neutrinos, a type of ghostly subatomic particle.
September 22, 2017, IceCube Neutrino Ice Observatory, one cubic kilometer The South Pole neutrino telescope detected a high energy neutrino of potential astrophysical origin. However, IceCube is not able to locate a source of neutrinos in the sky. Very quickly, after detection of IceCube detection, telescopes around the world, including VERITAS (which means "Very Artificial Telescope Array System"), went into action to identify the source. VERITAS, MAGIC and H.E.S.S. The gamma-ray observatories have all examined the position of the neutrino. In addition, other gamma observatories that monitor much of the sky at lower and higher energies have also provided coverage.
These observations of monitoring the raw Neutrino position IceCube suggest that the source of the neutrino is a blazar, which is a supermassive black hole with powerful jets that can change significantly in brightness over time. This blazar, known as TXS 0506 + 056, is located in the center of a galaxy about 4 billion light-years from Earth
Initially, the Gamma-Ray space telescope of the NASA has observed that TXS 0506 + 056 was several times brighter. seen in his all-sky surveillance. Finally, the MAGIC observatory did a much more energetic gamma ray detection about two weeks after neutrino detection, while VERITAS, H.E.S.S.S. HAWC did not see the blazar in any of his observations during the two weeks following the alert.
Given the importance of higher energy gamma ray detections in the identification of the possible source of the neutrino, VERITAS continued to observe TXS 0506+ 056 in the following months, until 39 in February 2018, and revealed the source but at a lower state than was detected by MAGIC.
The detection of gamma rays coinciding with neutrinos is tempting, since both particles must be produced in the generation of cosmic rays. Since they were first detected over a hundred years ago, cosmic rays – highly energetic particles that continually fall on Earth from space – have posed a lasting mystery. What creates and throws these particles over such great distances? Where do they come from?
"The potential link between the neutrino event and the TXS 0506 + 056 would shed new light on the mechanisms of acceleration that take place in the heart of these galaxies, and provide clues to the century-old question of the origin of cosmic rays, "said co-author and spokesperson for VERITAS Reshmi Mukherjee of Barnard College of Columbia University in New York, New York, 1969." Astrophysics enters a new exciting era of multi-messenger observations, in which celestial sources are studied through the detection of electromagnetic radiation that they emit in the spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays. high energy, in combination with non-electromagnetic means, such as gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos "Marcos Santander of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
Research Report: "Multi-Messenger Observations of a Flared Blazar Coinciding with the IceCube-170922A High-Energy Neutrino", The IceCube, F-Hermi-LAT, MAGIC, AGILE, ASAS-SN, HAWC, HESS, INTEGRAL, Kanata, Kiso, Kapteyn, Liverpool Telescope, Subaru, Swift / NuSTAR, VERITAS, and VLA / 17B-403 Teams, Science 361. DOI: 10.1126 / science.aat1378
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NASA's NuSTAR mission proves superstar Eta Carinae [= ACT]] Greenbelt MD (SPX) Jul 04, 2018
A new study using data from NASA's NuSTAR space telescope suggests that Eta Carinae, the brightest and most massive star system at 10 000 light-years, accelerates particles with high energy. who can reach the Earth as cosmic rays.
"We know that the exploding waves of exploded stars can accelerate cosmic ray particles at speeds comparable to those of light, an incredible boost of energy," said Kenji Hamaguchi, astrophysicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA in Greenbelt, Maryland. read more
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