Gamma Rays Near Centre Of The Milky Way
by Mark Garlick/science Photo Library
Title
Gamma Rays Near Centre Of The Milky Way
Artist
Mark Garlick/science Photo Library
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
An impression of the giant molecular clouds (orange) surrounding the Galactic Centre (blue-white). The clouds are bombarded by very high energy protons accelerated in the vicinity of the central black hole, and subsequently they emit gamma rays. The gamma rays have exceptionally high energies in the Peta-Electronvolt (PeV) range, the first time such high-energy photons have been detected from the Milky Way. The inset shows (top right) how the gamma-rays are produced. First, high-energy protons (blue, left) accelerated by the central black hole, collide with protons in the gas clouds of the central molecular zone. The collision results in a whole host of particles and their decay particles, including pions (red). It is these latter which, upon decay, are responsible for the emission of the PeV gamma rays.
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September 15th, 2018
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