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Scientists observe time-dependent particle acceleration outside solar system for the first time

Scientists observe time-dependent particle acceleration outside solar system for the first time

Researchers from the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) facility in Namibia have for the first time observed powerful eruptions on the surface of a white dwarf in a binary star system known as Novae.

A nova creates a shock wave that tears through the surrounding medium, pulling particles with it and accelerating them to extreme energies. Novae events occur when the white dwarf gathers material from its massive companion star due to its gravity. Some novae are known to repeat.

These recurrent novae are the result of thermonuclear explosions on the surface of old, very compact stars known as white dwarfs. RS Ophiuchi is one of these recurrent novae; there is an explosion on its surface every 15 to 20 years.

H.E.S.S researchers have stated that the RS Ophiuchi surprisingly seemed to cause particles to accelerate at speeds reaching the theoretical limit, corresponding to ideal conditions.

These researchers consist of UNAM graduates and (meanwhile) H.E.S.S. observatory staff Sennae Kankondi as well as UNAM physics student Sigrid Shilunga who were part of the observing team operating the telescopes during the observations.

Alison Mitchell, the researcher at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and principal investigator of the H.E.S.S Nova programme, explained that: “The stars forming the system are at approximately the same distance from each other as the Earth and the Sun.” She further continued to mention that: “When the nova exploded in August 2021, the H.E.S.S. telescopes allowed us to observe a galactic explosion in very-high-energy gamma rays for the first time.”

The researchers observed that the particles were accelerated to energies several hundreds of times higher than previously observed in novae. Additionally, the energy released as a result of the explosion was transformed extremely efficiently into accelerated protons and heavy nuclei, such that the particle acceleration reached the maximum speeds calculated in theoretical models.

According to Ruslan Konno, one of the lead authors of the study and a doctoral candidate at DESY in Zeuthen, “The observation that the theoretical limit for particle acceleration can actually be reached in genuine cosmic shock waves has enormous implications for astrophysics. It suggests that the acceleration process could be just as efficient in their much more extreme relatives, supernovae.”

During the eruption of RS Ophiuchi, the researchers were able for the first time to follow the development of the nova in real-time, allowing them to observe and study cosmic particle acceleration as if they were watching a film. The researchers were able to measure high-energy gamma rays up to one month after the explosion.

“This is the first time we have ever been able to carry out observations like this, and it will allow us to gain even more accurate future insights into how cosmic explosions work,” explains Dmitry Khangulyan, a theoretical astrophysicist at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, Japan. “We may, for example, discover that novae contribute to the ever-present sea of cosmic rays and therefore have a considerable effect on the dynamics of their immediate surroundings.”

Specific telescopes were required for these measurements. The H.E.S.S. facility consists of five Cherenkov telescopes that are used to investigate gamma rays from space. A new, highly sensitive state-of-the-art camera – known as FlashCam – was recently installed in the largest telescope.
The FlashCam design is currently being further developed for the next generation gamma-ray observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA).

“The new camera has been in use since late 2019, and this measurement shows just how much potential the latest generation of cameras has,” explained Simon Steinmassl, a doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, who was involved in analysing the camera data.

The telescopes were pointed towards the nova at very short notice after amateur astronomers first reported the nova to the astrophysics community. The success of the observation was due in no small part to the rapid reaction of the researchers and the wider astronomical community, paving the way for extensive subsequent observations. Stefan Wagner, a professor at the regional observatory in Heidelberg and the director of the H.E.S.S. experiment, explained that over the next few years, research using the CTA telescopes will show whether this type of nova is special.

In addition, researchers now have a clearer idea of what to look for. This gives rise to a number of new possibilities for gaining a better understanding and being better able to explain events linked to novae.

“This measurement is a further breakthrough in gamma-ray astronomy and an encouraging sign that we will be able to study many more cosmic explosions with H.E.S.S. and gamma-ray telescopes of the future.” Michael Backes, Associate Professor and Head of the Namibian H.E.S.S. group at UNAM added, “Being able to succeed with such ground-breaking discoveries even 20 years into the operation speaks volumes about the capabilities of the H.E.S.S. telescopes and gives prospects of many more discoveries in the years to come.”


Artist’s impression of the RS Ophiuchi Nova outburst. The fast shockwaves form an hourglass shape as they expand, in which gamma-rays are produced. This gamma-ray emission is then detected by the H.E.S.S. telescopes (shown in the foreground). (DESY/H.E.S.S., Science Communication Lab).


 

About The Author

Donald Matthys

Donald Matthys has been part of the media fraternity since 2015. He has been working at the Namibia Economist for the past three years mainly covering business, tourism and agriculture. Donald occasionally refers to himself as a theatre maker and has staged two theatre plays so far. Follow him on twitter at @zuleitmatthys