NASA’s Fermi Telescope Identifies Gamma-Ray Bubble from Young Star Cluster Westerlund 1

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NASA
6h ago
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Fermi detected a large gamma-ray bubble from Westerlund 1, linking cosmic ray outflows to galaxy evolution.
NASA’s Fermi Telescope Identifies Gamma-Ray Bubble from Young Star Cluster Westerlund 1
A What happened
NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected a gamma-ray emission bubble over 650 light-years long below the galactic plane, generated by cosmic ray outflows from Westerlund 1. This young, massive star cluster drives energetic particles that potentially regulate star formation and distribute elements across the Milky Way. The bubble's asymmetrical shape reflects gas escaping into less dense regions outside the galactic disk. This first detailed observation enables improved models of cosmic ray propagation and galactic wind formation.
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Key insights

  • 1

    Tracing Cosmic Ray Origins via Gamma Rays: Gamma rays travel in straight lines unlike charged cosmic rays, providing a clearer map of cosmic ray sources in star clusters, previously obscured by magnetic field deflections.

  • 2

    Impact on Galactic Evolution: Cosmic ray outflows play a critical role in driving galactic winds, influencing star formation rates and the dispersal of chemical elements across the Milky Way's disk and halo.

  • 3

    Unique Observational Opportunity: Westerlund 1's proximity, mass, and brightness allow unprecedented high-resolution gamma-ray study, opening pathways to discover similar outflows in other star clusters.

Takeaways

The Fermi detection of gamma-ray bubbles from Westerlund 1 marks a significant step in connecting small-scale stellar processes to large-scale galactic evolution.

Topics

Science & Research Research

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