The Kavli Foundation’s Post

Chinese scientists confirm cosmic ray origins in historic discovery The Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) has made a groundbreaking discovery within the Cygnus star-formation region, revealing a colossal ultra-high-energy gamma-ray bubble structure. This unprecedented revelation, disclosed by the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), marks humanity’s inaugural identification of the source of cosmic rays exceeding 10 Peta-Electronvolts (PeV) in energy, as reported by the Global Times. Cosmic rays, comprising primarily of charged particles such as protons, originate from outer space, constituting a pivotal area of inquiry within modern astrophysics. Over recent decades, cosmic ray measurements have illuminated a distinct feature in the energy spectrum known as the “knee” at around 1 PeV. This delineation, akin to the joint of a knee, holds profound significance in understanding the origins of cosmic rays. Scientists posit that https://lnkd.in/gpBqTZ5H

📃Scientific paper: Gamma-Ray emission from CCO 1E 1207.4-5209 and its host SNR G296.5+10.0 Abstract: The origin and acceleration mechanisms of energetic particles in the universe remain enigmatic in contemporary astrophysics. Recent efforts have focused on identifying Galactic sources capable of accelerating particles to 1 PeV, known as PeVatrons. The different morphology of galactic supernova remnants is directly related to the type of stellar explosion and the existence of a possible Compact Central Object (CCO), which possess intense radiative-gravitational fields on their surfaces. These CCOs, due to their strong fields and interactions with surrounding magnetic clouds, are potential candidates for cosmic ray production. Through observations of the compact X-ray source 1E 1207.4-5209, located near the remnant G296.5+10.0, and using the enhanced GALPROP code, we analyze the emission of high-energy gamma rays (E > 100 GeV) resulting from cosmic-ray acceleration and propagation. Additionally, we calculate the contribution of this association to the overall observed Galactic cosmic-ray flux, considering cosmic-ray propagation within the Galaxy, including energy losses and particle interactions. Our findings suggest that this setup offers a fertile environment for the production of a wide range of cosmic-ray energies, ranging from GeV to TeV, and even extending up to PeV, within the Galaxy ;Comment: 12 Pages;15 Figures (Comments are welcome) Continued on ES/IODE ➡️ https://etcse.fr/XLj ------- If you find this interesting, feel free to follow, comment and share. We need your help to enhance our visibility, so that our platform continues to serve you.

First detection of a stellar magnetic field from outside our galaxy. Researchers led by Swetlana Hubrig from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, using the low-resolution spectropolarimeter FORS2 mounted on one of the four 8-meter telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), have detected for the first time the magnetic field of stars from outside the Milky Way. The three stars belong in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, and the study implied the recording of circularly polarized light from them, and the observation of tiny changes in their spectral lines. The latter are the fruit of the star's magnetic field, which in these cases happened to be of the order of kiloGauss. The findings have been published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (27 May, 2024). https://lnkd.in/gSReJNRi #physics #physicsnews #astrophysics #astronomy #spectra #magneticfield #magneticfields #lmc#smc #fors2 #vlt #eso

On April 12, 2019, a significant milestone in astrophysics was achieved with the publication of the first-ever image of a black hole. This groundbreaking accomplishment was the result of years of collaborative effort involving scientists from around the world working together as part of the Event Horizon Telescope project. The black hole in question resides at the center of the galaxy M87, located about 55 million light-years from Earth. Capturing an image of a black hole posed a formidable challenge due to its extreme gravitational pull, which prevents even light from escaping its grasp. However, by synchronizing a network of radio telescopes across the globe, researchers were able to effectively create a virtual telescope the size of the Earth. The resulting image, which quickly became iconic, revealed the silhouette of the black hole against the bright, glowing gas swirling around it. This historic achievement not only provided visual confirmation of the existence of black holes but also offered valuable insights into their nature and behavior, confirming predictions made by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. The publication of the black hole image marked a triumph of human ingenuity and technological innovation in the quest to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos.

"Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe: Recent Discoveries in Astrophysics" Dark Matter and Dark Energy: Investigate the latest findings regarding these elusive components that make up the majority of the universe's mass and energy. Black Hole Revelations: Explore groundbreaking discoveries shedding light on the nature of black holes, including their formation, behavior, and interactions with surrounding matter. Gravitational Waves: Delve into the revolutionary field of gravitational wave astronomy and its role in unveiling cosmic phenomena such as merging black holes and neutron stars. Exoplanet Exploration: Learn about recent advancements in exoplanet research, including the discovery of potentially habitable worlds and the search for signs of extraterrestrial life. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation: Discover how studies of the universe's oldest light are providing insights into its early evolution and structure. Multimessenger Astronomy: Explore the integration of different observational techniques, such as traditional telescopes and neutrino detectors, to study cosmic events like supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. Galactic Dynamics: Investigate recent observations and simulations revealing the intricate dynamics of galaxies, including their formation, evolution, and interactions. High-Energy Astrophysics: Learn about recent breakthroughs in understanding cosmic phenomena such as active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, and cosmic rays. Cosmic Evolution: Examine the latest theories and observations elucidating the evolutionary history of the universe, from the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies and structures. Future Frontiers: Explore emerging areas of astrophysical research, from the study of gravitational lensing and dark energy surveys to the search for elusive phenomena like primordial black holes and cosmic strings. #talentserve

I am very happy to inform you all that I have been selected for the Summer School on Gravitational Wave Astronomy conducted by the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bengaluru in online mode. Following are the key highlights of this summer school: 1) The Astrophysics of Neutron Stars and binaries 2) Ultralight Boson Cloud around Black Holes 3) Rapidly Spinning Neutron Stars and Emission Mechanisms 4) Searches for Continuous Gravitational Waves

#astronomy #SMBH #AGN An article accepted for publication in the journal "Astronomy & Astrophysics" reports the results of the observation of a new activity of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy cataloged as SDSS J133519.91+072807.4 and called "simply" SDSS1335+0728. A team of researchers used observations conducted with various instruments to observe an increase in this galaxy's brightness. This already led to its inclusion among those with an active galactic nucleus at the end of 2019. https://lnkd.in/dFagWaqS

Off to the stars: We recently welcomed representatives of the planned Deutsches Zentrum für Astrophysik (DZA) at Fraunhofer ENAS in Chemnitz.   The new large-scale astrophysical research center is to be built in the Lausitz area in Saxony and will uncover groundbreaking and exciting phenomena in astronomy and astrophysics through the observation of our cosmos. This will help to further improve our knowledge and understanding of our universe.   In an open and inspiring exchange with our colleagues, we were able to gain exciting insights into the planned DZA and explore opportunities for joint, future collaboration in space research and the processing of huge amounts of data with the help of clever sensor technologies and AI-supported models.    We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks for the trusting dialogue and the interest in our smart technologies. We are keeping our fingers crossed for the DZA and the further development phase and are already excited to see what pioneering findings about our celestial bodies the DZA will reveal!   Our thanks for the pleasant conversations and the fruitful exchange go to: Prof. Günther Hasinger I Prof. Jürgen Besold I Prof. Martin M. Roth I Prof. Hermann Heßling I Prof. Harald Kuhn I Prof. Stefan E. Schulz I Dr. Alexander Weiß I Dr. Roman Forke I Dr. Stefanie Diana Zimmermann.   #Space #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Galaxy #Universe #Cosmos #Research #Collaboration #Sensor #Sensors #AI #DZA

The largest ever map of quasars in the universe has been released. Researchers led by Kate Storey-Fisher, at the Donostia International Physics Center, using data from Gaia, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, have published the three-dimensional map of the largest-ever volume of the universe. The main feature of the map is the location of about 1.3 million quasars in space and time. The study implied analyzing 6.6 million quasar candidates from the observation of Gaia, and thanks to the comparison with the other surveys, the number was highly reduced. The study also marked the regions were dust, stars, or other nuisances block our view, something to take into account in order to make a good interpretation of the map with the known locations. The findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal (18 March, 2024). https://lnkd.in/dUc3Z7Pu #physics #physicsnews #astrophysics #astronomy #cosmology #gaia #quasar #quasars

📃Scientific paper: Planetary nebulae as tracers of stellar population properties: unlocking their potential with integral-field spectroscopy Abstract: Planetary nebulae (PNe) are essential tracers of the kinematics of the diffuse halo and intracluster light where stellar spectroscopy is unfeasible, due to their strong emission lines. However, that is not all they can reveal about the underlying stellar population. In recent years, it has also been found that PNe in the metal-poor halos of galaxies have different properties (specific frequency, luminosity function), than PNe in the more metal-rich galaxy centers. A more quantitative understanding of the role of age and metallicity in these relations would turn PNe into valuable stellar-population tracers. In order to do that, a full characterization of PNe in regions where the stellar light can also be analysed in detail is necessary. In this work, we make use of integral-field spectroscopic data covering the central regions of galaxies, which allow us to measure both stellar ages and metallicities as well as to detect PNe. This analysis is fundamental to calibrate PNe as stellar population tracers and to push our understanding of galaxy properties at unprecedented galactocentric distances. ;Comment: Submitted to the Proceedings of IAU Symposium 384: Planetary Nebulae: a Universal Toolbox in the Era of Precision Astrophysics. Eds: O. De Marco, A. Zijlstra, R. Szczerba Continued on ES/IODE ➡️ https://etcse.fr/DHxR ------- If you find this interesting, feel free to follow, comment and share. We need your help to enhance our visibility, so that our platform continues to serve you.