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Super-Hot Gas Discovery
Context:
Scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), in collaboration with IIT-Palakkad and Ohio State University, have proposed a model to explain the origins of super-hot gas.
More on News:
- New research by scientists suggests that the gas emitting X-rays is heated by supernovae—massive stars that explode and heat the gas around them.
- These supernovae, occurring due to ongoing star formation in the Milky Way’s disk, continually enrich the surrounding gas with elements created during stellar nuclear reactions.
The Discovery of Gas:
- Super-Hot Gas in the Milky Way: Astronomers have recently unveiled a mysterious veil of fiery gas surrounding the disk of the Milky Way.
- This discovery, made possible through advanced X-ray observations, has revealed gas temperatures reaching around 10 million degrees Kelvin.
- Nature: The gas, which extends up to 700,000 light years, is significantly hotter than previously known gas surrounding our galaxy.
- It was initially thought that the gas’s high temperatures were due to the gravity of the Milky Way, causing atoms to swirl and stay hot.
- Elemental Composition: The gas responsible for X-ray emissions is enriched with α-elements (such as Sulphur, Magnesium, and Neon), which are produced in the cores of massive stars during supernovae explosions.
Key Findings:
- High Temperatures: The newly discovered gas is much hotter than the previously known gas, which was a few million degrees Kelvin.
- X-ray Emissions: Faint X-ray emissions detected in all directions around the Milky Way indicate the presence of this super-hot gas.
- Absorption by Quasars: The gas has been observed in the spectra of distant quasars, acting as an absorbing medium.
- Turbulent Gas and Supernovae: The gas surrounding the Milky Way is turbulent and may either escape into the intergalactic medium or cool and return to the disc.
- Runaway stars, particularly those ejected from the disc, can also contribute to this gas when they explode as supernovae, further enriching the surrounding gas.
Implications:
- The findings from this research have opened up new avenues for studying the Milky Way’s surrounding gas. Scientists plan to further investigate the faint X-ray signals to gather more clues about the gas’s composition and behaviour.
- The research team also intends to test their models in other frequencies to deepen their understanding of the galactic environment.
