Las Explosiones de Rayos Gamma (Gamma Ray Bursts, GRB) producen emisiones repentinas de rayos gamma altamente energéticos que duran desde menos de un segundo hasta varios minutos; un abrir y cerrar de ojos en escalas de tiempo cosmológicas. Se sabe que ocurren a inmensas distancias de la Tierra, hacia los límites del Universo observable.
Tras la brusca emisión de rayos gamma suele seguir un resplandor de luz visible, y con el VLT se ha detectado el ejemplo más lejano conocido de este proceso. Con un desplazamiento al rojo calculado de 8,2, la luz de esta fuente astronómica tan remota ha tardado más de 13.000 millones de años en llegar a nosotros. Por tanto, vemos la fuente tal como era cuando el Universo tenía menos de 600 millones de años, es decir, menos del cinco por ciento de su edad actual. La explosión debe haber liberado en unos pocos segundos unas 300 veces la cantidad de energía que nuestro Sol liberará en toda su existencia de más de 10.000 millones de años. Estos fenómenos constituyen, por tanto, las explosiones más potentes del Universo desde el Big Bang. Ver noticia eso0917.
Los investigadores llevan mucho tiempo tratando de descubrir la naturaleza de estas explosiones. Las observaciones indican que hay dos tipos de GRB: los de corta duración (menos de unos pocos segundos) y los de larga duración. Se sospechaba que los dos tipos se originan por dos clases diferentes de eventos cósmicos.
En 2003, astrónomos que empleaban telescopios de ESO jugaron un papel crucial al relacionar los GRBs de larga duración con las explosiones finales de estrellas masivas, conocidas como 'hipernovas'. Siguiendo los restos de una explosión durante un mes completo, se comprobó que la luz tenía propiedades similares a las de la supernova, causada cuando una estrella masiva estalla al final de su vida. Ver noticia eso0318 en inglés.
En 2005, telescopios de ESO detectaron por primera vez la luz visible que sigue a una emisión gamma de corta duración. Siguiendo esa luz durante tres semanas, se dedujo que las fuentes explosivas de rayos gamma de corta duración, a diferencia de las de larga duración, no podían deberse a una hipernova. Por el contrario, se cree que son generadas por las violentas fusiones de estrellas neutrones o de agujeros negros. Ver noticia eso0541 en inglés.
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Las Explosiones de Rayos Gamma (Gamma Ray Bursts, GRB) producen emisiones repentinas de rayos gamma altamente energéticos que duran desde menos de un segundo hasta varios minutos; un abrir y cerrar de ojos en escalas de tiempo cosmológicas. Se sabe que ocurren a inmensas distancias de la Tierra, hacia los límites del Universo observable.