Scientists have detected a large excess of gamma rays streaming from the Sun, which are the highest energy light emissions ever detected from an Earth star.
“The Sun is much more surprising than we know about,” said The Sun’s Mehr-On-Nisa Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Michigan State Universitywho worked on a new study published in the journal Physical examination letter. “We thought we had found this star, but that was not the case.”
The unexpected discovery was made by scientists sifting through six years of observations captured by the Cherenkov High Altitude Water Observatory, also known as HAWC, which has been carefully tracking gamma-ray emissions since its completion in March 2015.
The HAWC data reveal that our sun is capable of creating dramatic overloads of very high-energy gamma rays that exceed what our current models of solar behavior can explain. For context, the visible light emitted from our Sun as a result of the nuclear fusion reactions raging in its core carries the energy equivalent of one electron volt.
However, the gamma rays detected by HAWC have been recorded as carrying anywhere from one trillion to nearly 10 trillion electron lockers. According to a Michigan State University release, this makes gamma rays “the highest energy light ever observed from the Sun.”
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“After looking at data for six years, this excess of gamma rays appears,” explained Nessa. “When we first saw it, we were like, ‘This is really messing us up.’” The sun can’t shine with energy like that. “
The vast amount of gamma rays that the Sun produces are formed when our star’s atmosphere collides with charged particles known as cosmic rays.. These same high-energy particles are created during catastrophic events that occur beyond the boundaries of our solar system, such as the death of a star in a dramatic supernova, or as a byproduct of a celebratory black hole.
When the sun’s magnetic field bends outward, cosmic rays interact with gases in the star’s atmosphere, creating solar gamma rays, some of which are absorbed by Earth’s dense atmosphere.
In 2011, NASA’s Fermi Telescope revealed that the sun is capable of producing very energetic gamma rays, and that the star creates nearly seven times as much gamma rays as previously thought. However, according to Michigan State University, the Fermi telescope’s detection is limited by the capabilities of its gamma-ray detector, which can only track particles with energies of up to 200 billion electron volts.
However, the HAWC system has no limitations, and is capable of detecting gamma rays carrying energies of trillions of electron volts. Situated at 13,000 feet above sea level, between the peaks of two dormant volcanoes near Puebla, Mexico, the HAWC is about as far away from a traditional telescope, aesthetically, as you can get.
It lacks the cylindrical design of the venerable Hubble Space Telescope, nor does it flaunt the origami-like gold mirror and reflector of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. In contrast, the HAWC consists of 300 water tanks filled with approximately 60,000 metric tons of purified water..
When gamma rays hit Earth’s atmosphere, they break up into light particles and low-energy particles collectively known as ‘atmospheric rain’. On contact with a tank of water, the particles produce light in the form of Cherenkov radiation, which is then detected by the HAWC instrument.
As well as gathering readings on the highly energetic nature of gamma rays, the HAWC data also reveal their tendency to occur when the Sun goes through a relatively inactive phase in its 11-year activity cycle. Looking ahead, scientists will look to answer questions about how the Sun’s magnetic field shapes interactions with cosmic rays, giving rise to high-energy gamma rays.
“This shows that HAWC is adding to our knowledge of our galaxy at its highest potential, opening up questions about our sun,” said Nessa, one of nearly 100 scientists who contributed to the research. “It makes us see things from a different perspective. Literally.”
Image credit: NASA/SDO
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video game news for IGN. He has over eight years of experience covering the latest developments in various scientific fields and has absolutely no time to fool you. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
2023-08-10 09:58:42
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