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A simulation of a neutron star merger. NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

BY KATHERINE HIGNETT ON 1/19/18 AT 8:47 AM

Update | Last August, astronomers detected the massive collision of two neutron stars. This neutron star merger sent gravitational waves surging through space. It also unleashed a gamma ray burst—the world’s most powerful laser.

Normally gamma ray bursts glow brightly for a short time, then fizzle out and lose energy. New electromagnetic observations from NASA’s Chandra X-ray observatory show the burst brightening, baffling astronomers.

An exploding cocoon
A more complex explanation is needed for the bizarre brightening, the authors wrote. They propose that a "cocoon"-shaped explosion might do the job. In this model, a jet from the collision shock-heats the surrounding gas and debris, creating a boiling cocoon of matter.

The new X-ray observations support recent discoveries from radio emissions. Last month, another team of researchers reported the strengthening of radio emissions from the neutron star merger. They produced a digital reconstruction, seen in the video below, of a similar "cocoon" model.

 

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