November 15, 2006
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmSupernova Packs a Kick
Astronomers have mapped the degree of acceleration of electrons in an exploded supernova, or remnant, for the first time.
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Astronomers have mapped the degree of acceleration of electrons in an exploded supernova, or remnant, for the first time. To capture the image, researchers trained NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory on our galaxy's youngest remnant, Cassiopeia A. Like a mighty pinball machine, the remnant's shock wave has kicked electrons to near their theoretical limit in some places, the group reported in September's Nature Physics.
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