Brightest Gamma-ray Burst Reveals New Cosmic Explosion Mysteries

An artist’s impression of a Brightest Gamma-ray Burst. Credit: ESO/L. Calçada / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Astronomers have disclosed how Nasa’s satellites detected the strongest gamma-ray explosion ever seen in space. The gamma-ray outburst happened far away from our planet, approximately two billion light-years away, and brightened much of the galaxy.

Photographs of this exceptional and influential cosmic event display a circular aura and shapes resembling a “bullseye.” Scholars, including educators from the University of Leicester, claim that this gamma-ray burst was ten times brighter than any previous ones that they had detected.

They have revealed an in-depth examination of the energetic eruption, which was sighted on October 9, 2022.

The explosion has been designated GRB 221009A officially, but the people working on Nasa’s Swift mission have nicknamed it “BOAT” (Brightest Of All Time), says BBC.

Sign of black hole formation

The gamma-ray emission from a massive star’s collapse lasted for more than 300 seconds. This type of gamma-ray burst is considered a “long-duration” GRB and is believed to be the initial sign of a black hole’s formation.

2b years ago, the birth of a black hole 🕳️created a Gamma Ray burst. The burst, observed Oct last year, was the brightest of all times. Only lasting a few seconds, it carried more energy as the Sun will emit during its entire lifetime.

GRB 221009A, NASA, Fermi space telescope pic.twitter.com/ocE4fZ8oUM

— Kalangfeld (@kalangfeld) March 31, 2023

The black hole is created as the core of the star, which is enormous and spins rapidly, collapses under its own weight.

The newborn black hole releases powerful jets of plasma at almost the speed of light, which cut through the imploding star and produce gamma rays that can be detected by astronomers.

GRB 221009A has caused astronomers to wonder what would happen after the initial burst of gamma rays. “When the jets collide with the gas that surrounds the dying star, they generate a bright ‘afterglow’ of light across the entire spectrum,” explains Tanmoy Laskar, who is the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Utah.

“The afterglow dims rapidly, which means that we need to act quickly to capture the light before it vanishes, taking its secrets with it,” added Laskar.

Analysis of GRB’s behavior and evolution

A team of scientists led by Edo Berger and Yvette Cendes from the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) used advanced telescopes to study the afterglow of GRB 221009A.

They were particularly interested in analyzing its behavior and evolution in detail, given its brightness. The team did not want to miss this opportunity, as it could provide unprecedented insights.

A remarkable gamma ray burst (GRB), first observed in October 2022, is now thought to be the brightest burst of X-ray and gamma ray energies to occur since human civilisation began. GRB 221009A sent an intense pulse of radiation sweeping through the Solar System. pic.twitter.com/myutM1gLqx

— Peter Bond (@PeterBondSpace) March 29, 2023

Berger, who has studied such events for over twenty years, expressed excitement about this one, saying it was as thrilling as the first GRB he had ever observed.

The scientists utilized the Submillimeter Array (SMA), which enabled them to respond quickly to the location of the GRB. With this telescope, they monitored the afterglow of the GRB for more than ten days, as it gradually faded.

After combining data from the SMA and other telescopes worldwide, the scientists were surprised. The millimeter and radio wave measurements were significantly brighter than the visible and X-ray light.