Fireworks from a gamma ray star

Astronomers use NASA's Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope to observe explosions from the rest of a star 30,000 light-years away. High-energy explosions come from a kind of neutron star called a soft gamma ray. Such objects often give off a kind of X-ray and Gamma rays

Loredana Vetere, who collaborated with Swift's observation at Pennsylvania State University, said: 'At other times, other objects often flare up with hundreds of halos within 20 minutes. The strongest light radiates energy equal to the solar energy emitted for 20 years'.

The object, long known as an X-ray source, is located in the southern constellation Norma. In the past two years, astronomers have recognized radio signals and X-rays from it. The object began a series of explosions on October 3, 2008, then settled down again. It began operating again on January 22.

Because of the recent explosions, astronomers have classified this object into a type of soft gamma-ray repeatability - and the latter is known in this category. In 2004, an explosion from a similar object was so strong that it affected the Earth's upper atmosphere from a distance of 50,000 light-years.

Scientists believe that the origin is a spinning neutron star, which is a very dense remains the size of a city of a star.Although only about 12 miles long, a neutron star has a mass greater than the sun. The object is designated SGR J1550-5418.

Swift's X-ray telescope (XRT) captures an expanding halo around SGR neutron star J1550-5418. Bright pants formed when X-rays from the brightest regions scattered due to dust clouds. (Photo: NASA / Swift / Jules Halpern)

While neutron stars often have strong magnetic fields, another group has 1,000 times stronger magnetic fields. These 'magnetic fields' stars have the strongest magnetic field of all known objects in the universe. SGR J1550-5418, spinning a loop in 2.07 seconds, is the fastest rotating magnetic field. Astronomers believe that magnetic fields focus energy to emit light halves by using the enormous energy of their magnetic fields.

Chryssa Kouveliotou, an astrophysicist at NASA's Marshall Aviation Center in Huntsville, Ala, said: 'The ability to observe Gamma-ray bursts and analyze the structure within these events will help them We can better understand how the magnetic field releases their energy. '

Using data from Swift's X-ray Telescope, Jules Halpern at Columbia University obtained the first 'light echoes' observed from a soft gamma-ray repeater. The images obtained when a series of the nearest light bursts began to show that the halo was expanding. Many bright rings form when X-rays interact with dust clouds at different distances, with closer clouds creating larger rings. Bright rings are illusions created by the limited speed of light and longer distances that scattered light must move.

Halpern said: 'X-rays from the brightest explosions dispersed through dust clouds between us and the star. We do not know the distance to this object. Photos will help us more accurately determine the distance to dust clouds'.

The Wind satellite from NASA, NASA and Japan Suzaku spacecraft, and the European Space Agency's INTEGRAl satellite also recognize light explosions from SGR J1550-5418.

NASA Goddard Space Center at Greenbelt, Md., Manages the Swift satellite. It is operated in partnership with partners in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Japan. NASA's Fermi Gamma Beam Space Telescope is an astrophysical observatory and physical element developed in collaboration with the US Department of Energy and important contributions from academia and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the United States

To view the relevant images, visit the address: http:///www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/gammaray_fireworks.html
For more information about Swift satellites, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/swift
More information about the Fermi spacecraft, visit the address only: http:///www.nasa.gov/fermi