Why in the News?
New research by the University of Hawaii has discovered Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs), the most powerful explosions since the Big Bang, surpassing even gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in energy output.
Back2Basics: Big Bang
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About Extreme Nuclear Transients (ENTs):
- Discovery: First reported by astronomers at the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy (IfA).
- Cause: Triggered when massive stars (≥3 times Sun’s mass) are torn apart by supermassive black holes at galactic centers.
- Energy Output: Release ten times more energy than gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), earlier considered the brightest cosmic events.
- Duration: Remain luminous in radio wavelengths for years, unlike short-lived bursts.
How ENTs differ from other cosmic events?
- Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs): They come from collapsing stars or mergers; short-lived but highly energetic. ENTs are more powerful and last longer.
- Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs): TDEs also shred stars, but ENTs involve larger black holes and massive stars, making them rarer.
- Fast X-ray Transients (FXTs): They are faint, brief X-ray bursts from trapped jets in supernovae. ENTs are brighter, multi-wavelength, and more energetic.
Scientific Importance of ENTs:
- Most Energetic Events: Represent the most powerful class of transients ever observed.
- Black Hole Studies: Offer insights into supermassive black hole dynamics and their role in galactic evolution.
- Early Universe Clues: Help probe massive stars soon after galaxy formation.
- Future Observations: Key targets for next-generation telescopes like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
| [UPSC 2012] Which of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence for the continued expansion of the universe?
1. Detection of microwaves in space 2. Observation of redshift phenomenon in space 3. Movement of asteroids in space 4. Occurrence of supernova explosions in space Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 and 2 * (b) 2 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) None of the above. |
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