November 16, 2017

Chandra Samples Galactic Goulash

Reviewing back...
- Lee Mohon
www.nasa.gov

A system in place far away from earth 140 million light years, Arp 299, contains two galaxies that are merging, creating a partially blended mix of stars from each galaxy in the process. However, according to NASAs Chandra X-ray, this stellar mix is not the only ingredient, but also such strong emitters of X-rays that astronomers categorize them as ultra-luminous X-ray sources,or ULXs. These ULXs are found embedded in regions where stars are currently forming at a rapid rate.

The ULXs are binary systems where a neutron star or black hole is pulling matter away from a companion star that is much more massive than the Sun. These double star systems are called high-mass X-ray binaries. Arp 299 is one of the most powerful star-forming galaxies in the nearby Universe, and Arp 299 also emits copious amounts of infrared light that has been detected by observatories.

by Dini Dwintika Karuniati
16611042

Article Science

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