Two gamma-ray sources and ancient guest stars

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 20, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Young neutron stars emit gamma-ray radiation. This study suggests some gamma-ray sources may be young compact objects linked to guest star events, identifying two such sources.

Related Concept Videos

Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating02:48

Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating

Radioactivity is a spontaneous disintegration of an unstable nuclide and is a random process, as all the nuclei in the sample do not decay simultaneously. The number of disintegrations per unit time is called the activity (A), which is directly proportional to the number of nuclei in the sample. The decay constant (λ) is an average probability of decay per nucleus in unit time.
Types of Radioactivity03:23

Types of Radioactivity

The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Radiation and Light Sources01:13

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Radiation and Light Sources

Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) relies on the Beer-Lambert law, which requires that the radiation source emits a narrow range of wavelengths to match the absorption characteristics of the analyte atom. The primary criteria for choosing an appropriate radiation source in AAS is to provide a precise and intense emission at specific wavelengths that will allow accurate detection of the analyte.
Two common narrow-range 'line' sources used in AAS are hollow-cathode lamps (HCLs) and...
Thomson's e/m Experiment01:19

Thomson's e/m Experiment

In a beam of charged particles created by a heated cathode, the particles move at different speeds. However, many applications need a beam with uniform particle speeds. An arrangement known as a velocity selector uses electric and magnetic fields to pick particles with a particular speed from the beam.
A particle with charge q, speed v, and mass m enters an area from the top, where the magnetic and electric fields are perpendicular both to the particle's motion and to one another. The magnetic...
Absorption of Radiation01:05

Absorption of Radiation

The rate of heat transfer by emitted radiation is described by the Stefan-Boltzmann law of radiation:
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference01:30

Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference

In atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), high-temperature atomizers excite a broad range of elements and molecules that generate complex emissions from sources such as oxides, hydroxides, and flame combustion products in the flame or plasma. Several strategies can be employed to minimize spectral interferences caused by overlapping emission lines or bands. These include increasing instrument resolution, choosing alternative emission lines, optimally placing the detector in low-background regions,...