Resources
Q & A
Glossary
Acronym Guide
Further Reading
Outside the Site
Google Sky
WWT
Facebook
Youtube
Twitter
Flickr
Pinterest
Multimedia, Etc
Images/Illustrations
Animation & Video
Special Features
Chandra Podcasts
Desktop Images
The Big Chandra Picture
Presentations
Handouts
Screen Savers
Audio
Web Shortcuts
Chandra Blog
RSS Feed
Chronicle
Email Newsletter
News & Noteworthy
Image Use Policy
Questions & Answers
Glossary of Terms
Download Guide
Get Adobe Reader
Q&A: X-ray Astronomy

Q:
Has Chandra been able to improve our knowledge about the total amount of radiation emitted by neutron stars, such as the one at the center of the Crab Nebula, and in particular the amount of radiant energy which now reaches the upper levels of the Earth's atmosphere from such sources as Chandra has observed in the X-ray range?

A:
Papers are due out soon on the spectrum and intensity of the Crab Nebula pulsar, but he greatest effect of a nearby supernova-like event would probably be due to a gamma-ray burst. These events, which may be due to the explosion of an extremely massive star (hypernova), release an enormous amount of energy in X rays and gamma rays. Chandra has observed two or three of these events in distant galaxies, but the results have not been published. In a few months, some information may be available. Keep an eye on http://xxx.lanl.gov/form/astro-ph?MULTI=form+interface

Back | Index | Next