Transcript 'Death Star' Galaxy Black Hole Fires at Neighboring Galaxy

NASA Swift Mission
Video Animations of
Gama Ray Bursters (GRB) &
'Death Star' Galaxy
Sources:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/swift_multimedia.html
http://chandra.harvard.edu/press/07_releases/press_121707.html
The videos are not embedded in the Blackboard slides.
Clinking on the images in the slides will load them in a browser per links above.
The Farthest GRB as of 09.19.08 A
Source:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts
/farthest_grb.html
GRB 080913 exploded Sept.13, 2008, at a
whopping distance of 12.8 billion light-years
away in the constellation Eridanus. The box
indicates the sky area shown in the Swift image
that will follow.
The Farthest GRB as of 09.19.08 B
This image of the preceding boxed area merges
the view through Swift's UltraViolet and Optical
Telescope, which shows bright stars, and its Xray Telescope, which captures the burst (central
orange and yellow).
The Farthest GRB as of 09.19.08 C
GRB 080913 can't be
seen in one of a
ground based
telescope’s optical
filters (top), but
appears in another
(bottom). The sudden
appearance of objects
at longer wavelengths
indicates great
distance.
Models of GRB Creation
The next three slides contain links to video
animations of three different theoretical
models for how the supernovas come to
be that produce the gamma ray bursts
detected by the NASA Swift Spacecraft
Gamma Ray Telescope.
BLACK HOLES - A "COLLAPSAR" ANIMATION - Click on the image for
69479main_collapsar.mpg to view the animation (5.4 MB)
Image/animation above: The collapse of the core of a massive star to form a black
hole is one of the possible causes of a GRB. Hundreds of thousands to a million
years prior to the explosion, this very massive star started running out of fuel and let
loose much of its outer envelope, or lost the envelope to a companion star. The star
then rapidly depleted its remaining central fuel causing the core to lose radiation
pressure and collapse. Surrounded by a disk of accreting matter, a black hole
formed inside. Within a few seconds, streaming particle jets were launched along
the rotation axis. The jets, combined with vigorous winds of newly formed radioactive
metals blowing off the disk inside, shattered the star. The jet passed through the
outer shells of the star and combined with the vigorous winds of newly forged
radioactive metals blowing off the disk inside, gave rise to the supernova event.
Collisions among the pieces of the jet moving at different velocities, far from the
explosion and moving close to light speed, created the GRB, which can only be seen
if the jet was pointed at us. What is amazing is that the engine that made the jets that
created the gamma ray burst, was no larger than the Washington D.C. area.
SUPERNOVA "CLASSIC" ANIMATION - Click on the image for
69478main_classic_supernova.mpg to view the animation (6.3 MB)
Image/animation above: A common supernova explosion occurs when there
is no longer enough fuel to maintain the fusion process in the core of a
massive star. As it begins to burn faster, it quickly depletes its hydrogen and
swells into a red super-giant. The core, however, continues shrinking and,
when it contains just iron, the fusion ceases to give any more energy. In less
than a second, the core implodes, crushing iron atoms together while the
temperature rises to over 100 billion degrees. The internal pressure, plus
neutrines emitted during the formation of the neutron star, overcomes the
force of gravity causing gas to shoot out from the heart of the star in an
explosive shock wave. When the shock encounters the material in the star's
outer layers, they are heated and propelled into space producing the brilliant
display of light called a supernova."
DEVOUR THY NEIGHBOR ANIMATION - Click on the image
69476main_binary_merger.mpg to view the animation (2.7 MB)
Image/animation above: Another idea for the origin of a GRB is
called the Binary Merger Theory. It begins with two neutron
stars, or a neutron star and a black hole orbiting each other.
The gravitational wave energy emitted by these two gigantic
stellar objects causes them to swirl around each other faster
and faster, like two boxers in a ring preparing for the first punch.
They begin to look misshaped, becoming more oblong the
closer they get to one another. The final merger occurs quickly.
A black hole is formed and gamma rays shoot out as a GRB.
'Death Star' Galaxy
Black Hole Fires at
Neighboring Galaxy
A powerful jet from a super massive black hole is blasting a
nearby galaxy, according to new findings from NASA
observatories. This never-before witnessed galactic violence may
have a profound effect on planets in the jet's path and trigger a
burst of star formation in its destructive wake
Known as 3C321, the system contains two galaxies in orbit
around each other. Data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
show both galaxies contain super massive black holes at their
centers, but the larger galaxy has a jet emanating from the vicinity
of its black hole. The smaller galaxy apparently has swung
clockwise into the path of this jet.
http://chandra.harvard.edu/press/07_releases/press_121707.html
X-ray & Radio Full Field Image of 3C321
A wide-field view of X-ray and radio
emission, the image reveals jets that
extend for about 1.7 million light years
before zooming into the central two
galaxies that are about 1.4 billion light
years from Earth.
X-RAY & RADIO
WIDE FIELD
Multipanel Image of 3C321
A powerful jet from a supermassive black hole
is blasting a nearby galaxy in the system
known as 3C321, according to new results
from NASA. This galactic violence, never seen
before, could have a profound effect on any
planets in the path of the jet and trigger a
burst of star formation in the wake of its
destruction.
Composite Image of 3C321
This composite image of the radio galaxy
3C321 shows the jet from a black hole at the
center of the larger galaxy, to the lower left,
striking the edge of a companion galaxy to the
upper right, the first time such an interaction
has been found. The image includes X-ray data
from Chandra (colored purple), optical and
ultraviolet (UV) data from Hubble (red and
orange), and radio emission from the Very
Large Array (VLA) and MERLIN (blue). A bright,
blue spot in the VLA and MERLIN radio image
shows where the jet has struck the side of the
galaxy and dissipates some energy. The jet is
disrupted and deflected by this impact with the
companion galaxy.
Chandra X-ray Image of 3C321
The Chandra X-ray image of 3C321 shows that
both galaxies contain supermassive black
holes undergoing a phase of rapid growth. It is
unusual for two such active galaxies to be so
close to each other. Hot gas in the galaxies is
also visible in the image.
VLA/MERLIN Radio Image of 3C321
A bright spot in the VLA and MERLIN radio image
shows where the jet from the larger galaxy in 3C321
has struck the side of its companion galaxy - about
20,000 light years away - dissipating some of its
energy. The jet is then disrupted and deflected, much
like how a stream of water from a hose will splay out
after hitting a wall at an angle.
Hubble Optical Image of 3C321
This optical image from Hubble shows the
glow from stars in the two galaxies in 3C321.
A dust-lane is visible in the larger galaxy,
showing that there must have been a merger
with a smaller galaxy in the past.
Hubble UV Image of 3C321
This ultraviolet image from Hubble shows large
quantities of warm and hot gas in the vicinity
of the galaxies in 3C321, indicating that the
supermassive black holes in both galaxies
have had a violent past.
Comparison of 3C321 Composite to Artist's Illustration
This images compares the composite image of 3C321 to an
artist's illustration of the system, showing the main galaxy and
the companion galaxy. A jet of particles generated by a
supermassive black hole at the center of the main galaxy is
striking the companion galaxy. The jet is disrupted and deflected
by this impact. The key features of this system are labeled in the
final view.
Animation of 3C321
This animation of 3C321 will open in a browser window.
It begins with a close-up of the supermassive black hole
in the center of the main galaxy. Hot gas is falling
towards the black hole via a blue disk. Some of this
material is swallowed by the black hole, but much of it is
ejected in a narrow jet of particles traveling at almost the
speed of light. The camera then pulls back to show stars
and a dust lane in the main galaxy. As the field of view
continues to increase in size, the companion galaxy
becomes visible as it swings into the path of the jet from
the main galaxy. The jet is deflected and disrupted by
the impact with the companion galaxy. [Runtime: 0:46]